I learned about four inventions this week. The inventions were Portland cement, electromagnets, the passenger rail, and matches. First, I learned about Portland cement. Cement is an ingredient in concrete and the Romans used a large amount. After Rome concrete fell out of use. The inventor of Portland cement, Joseph Aspdin, was born in England in 1778 and experimented with cement formulas. Portland cement is cement made of limestone, chalk, shells, or clay, which makes it the best cement. It became the most popular cement in London and others began figuring out Joseph’s formula. 

Second, I learned about Electromagnets. The inventor of electromagnets was Hans Christian Oersted. He was born in 1777 and became a professor in 1806. In 1820, he noticed something peculiar in a lecture. He determined magnetic field production by electric current. Magnetic field production is whenever an electrical charge is in motion. Electromagnets are magnets made by winding a wire around an iron core. If we didn’t have electromagnets we wouldn’t have speakers.

Third, I learned about passenger rails. Trains evolved from mining transport systems and mining was boosted by steam engines. The inventor of the passenger rail was George Stephenson who was born in Britain in 1781 and became an expert in steam engines. He built passenger cars that are pulled by locomotives. One purpose of passenger rails is to take passengers where they need to go quickly. Stephenson continued developing the industry and the railway became a successful investment. By 1830, Stephenson built a major railway and he added the new fire tube boiler.

Finally, I learned about matches. The Chinese alchemists came up with the early match. The inventor of the modern match was John Walker. He was born in 1781 and became a pharmacist and understood the weakness of chemical matches. Match head contains chemical igniters which will ignite if combined with phosphorus on a striking pad. Others have improved the match after Walker. The match made making fire quickly and easier for campfires and grilling.