Why weren’t ships made of metal sooner?
(Image source: Pixabay)
Question from Joe Robertson
Although metal work has existed for centuries for things such as swords and armour, the sheer amount of metal required and the techniques needed to forge them into large ships simply didn’t exist until the industrial revolution.
The development of large industrial forges during this era meant the raw materials could now be turned into huge objects such as keels.
Isambard Brunel’s Great Britain, launched in 1843, was the first ship to be built entirely of wrought iron. From the 1880s shipbuilders started to use steel instead of iron, and some were fitted with steam engines
Answered by Mark Smith for Brain Dump in How It Works issue 134.
To feature in our Brain Dump section, send us your questions to howitworks@futurenet.com or message us on Facebook or Twitter
For more science and technology articles, pick up the latest copy of How It Works from all good retailers or from our website now. If you have a tablet or smartphone, you can also download the digital version onto your iOS or Android device. To make sure you never miss an issue of How It Works magazine, subscribe today!
