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Knowledge about the gasoline engine, a complex but relatively unchanged invention, will help the average Joe understand the mechanics of the motor. The gasoline engine uses a four-stroke cycle to convert gasoline to motion. This cycle is nicknamed the Otto cycle in honor of Nikolaus Otto, who invented it in1867. The four strokes consist of the intake stroke, compression stroke, combustion stroke, and the exhaust stroke. The Otto cycle begins with the intake stroke. The piston starts at the top of the cylinder. The intake valve opens and the cylinder moves down to allow a mix of air and gasoline to enter the cylinder. The piston proceeds to move back up to compress the air and fuel mixture in the compression stroke. When the piston reaches the top of its stroke, the spark plug emits a spark, igniting the fuel and driving the piston down. This is the combustion stroke. Once the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke, the exhaust valve opens releasing exhaust from the cylinder. With the cylinder free of exhaust, it takes in a new mixture of air and gasoline, thus starting the cycle over again. The cylinder is the core of the engine. The piston travels up and down inside the cylinder. Four cylinder, six cylinder, and