Revision Session

1. Revision Session Iron & Steel Problems & solutions

2. Short answer questions • (a)(i) What is meant by the term …? 3 marks • Level 1: Simple statement supported by some knowledge e.g. … (1-2) • Level 2: Developed statement in context supported by relevant knowledge, e.g. … (3)

3. Explain what is meant by the old industries. (3 marks) Response • The old industries developed in the eighteenth century. Response 2 • The old industries had been the basis of the Industrial Revolution. They were heavy industries such as coal, shipbuilding, textiles and iron and steel. They were mostly located in the north of England

4. The demand for iron (a)(i) Give one reason to explain why there was a demand for iron in the C18th. Which of these reasons could you explain well enough to get 3 marks ? War Mechanisation Trade Population Farming

5. The Darby Family • Abraham Darby I solved one of the problems facing the iron industry. Which one ? Darby I was interested in making cast iron pots that were cheap to buy; can you link this to one of the reasons for demand ?

6. The Darby Family • Darby I chose Coalbrookdale carefully as a site; give 3 reasons why it was so good. • Abraham Darby II took over the firm in 1738; he borrowed heavily to improve the business. Look at all the things he did and prioritise them in order of importance.

7. Darby II • He bought a Newcomen steam engine in 1742 to pump water to the water wheel to drive the bellows for the furnaces. • He built 6 new blast furnaces. • He built special ovens for coking coal. • He bought up local coal mines and iron-ore quarries • He built a horse-powered tramway. • He developed a new market making cast iron boilers for steam engines. • He improved the quality of coke iron so it could be used to make wrought iron.

8. The Darby Family • Darby II solved 2 more of the problems facing the iron industry in the C18th; Which ones ?

9. Question (ii) Describe the work of Abraham Darby III ? (4) Which of these statements are true & could be part of your answer ? He built better houses and paid higher wages than other employers. He constructed the iron bridge across the river severn. He bought local farms to supply his workers with fresh food. He made Coalbrookdale world famous.

10. Question (iii) • Why was John Wilkinson important to the iron industry ? (6) • Notice that the question asks you why he was important to the industry, not just what he did.

11. What he did In 1774 he invented a cannon lathe that could make a cannon by boring down a block of iron. In 1776 this lathe was used to help make the Boulton & Watt steam engine. He helped to construct the first iron bridge. Why important John Wilkinson

12. What he did He built an iron boat which he successfully tried out on the river severn. He made 40 miles of iron pipes for the city of Paris. He used wrought iron for products like a chapel, an obelisk, coinage and a coffin. Why important John Wilkinson

13. Essay Questions In parts (b) and (c) there will be questions that look like this. In what ways did the iron industry change in the second half of the eighteenth century? You may use the following to help you in your answer. • The Darbys • The Iron Bridge • John Wilkinson • Steam power

14. How can you answer this well ? • Decide what the topic is all about. • Look for the key word. In this case it is change. This means that you have try to explain whether the iron industry got better or worse. • Think about the dates at the beginning and the end. Why have they been chosen? • What was the iron industry like at the beginning? • What was it like at the end? • How are the four points linked together? • Are there any other significant events to mention? • Write an explanation of the changes.

15. Remember to include a piece of evidence that is not in the box. • Look back at the work on Wilkinson and see how it fits with the other 3 items. • Think back to the demand for iron and the 3 problems that existed; can you include those in your answer ?

16. Henry Cort • Cort could fit into that essay question; what does he do ? • He was an ironmaker who had an iron forge near Portsmouth & he supplied the navy with cannon. He needed good quality pig iron & despite the work of the Darby`s there was never enough. His importance is that he develops a way of making wrought iron cheaply & easily in 1781.

17. He invented Puddling makes purer iron The reverbatory furnace Rolling Rolling Rolling How did it work ? Coke & iron were kept apart. The iron cooled as bars, on rollers of different shapes. The molten iron was stirred as it cooked to remove impurities. A high wall or firebridge was built. Rolling the iron purified it further. Stirring was a highly skilled job. Henry Cort – Link these together

18. Question (iv) This question will usually look like this :- In what ways did the changes in the iron industry affect other industries from 1760 to 1830 ?

19. Other industries Textiles Steam Power Transport Coal How affected ? Can you think of this answer ?

20. The Steel Industry • What is steel ? Steel is an alloy made by mixing iron with other metals to make it harder, stronger and more flexible than iron. • Why was steel in demand ? From about 1845, larger ships, trains and machines were being built; they needed steel as wrought iron was not flexible enough.

21. The Problem • Steel was difficult to make and was expensive. • Benjamin Huntsman had developed Crucible Steel but this could only be made in small quantities and so was very expensive. • There was such a need for cheap steel that the government offered a prize of £1000 to anyone who could come up with a solution.

22. Question (ii) Describe the work of Henry Bessemer (4) • What did he invent in 1856 ? • What was wrong with this invention ? • So this meant that …. ?

23. Question (iii) Why did Britain lose the lead in developing a steel industry ? (6) Siemens developed The Open Hearth Furnace; this was efficient as it could melt down scrap iron, but could still not use phosphoric ores. It was used to build the Forth Bridge in Scotland and for shipbuilding. Gilchrist Thomas developed The Basic Process in 1878 which meant the Converter was lined with dolomite to absorb the phosphorus.

24. Britain was slow to develop this new process. • Germany & the USA went ahead of Britain. • The only area that adopted these methods successfully on a large scale was Middlesborough.