Question

8. Give an example of a technology that led to greater productivity and explain how it did so.

Answer 1

Cotton gin, separated cotton from seeds, and lessened the need for slave labor in cotton fields. It produced far more cotton than men separating it by hand

Answer 2

A technology that increased the productivity in the production (and also distribution processes) was usage of steam power.

Steam power started to be applied to production activities in the UK during the industrial revolution, and made it possible to conduct mining activities, operate mills or to provide energy to a whole factory, decreasing production times and costs (for example, less physical strenght was needed and hence a smaller number of employees need to be hired for a certain task).

The usage of steam power contributed to the generalization of production processes organized in chain and to the development of better and more advanced engines. Steam engines were subsequently applied to boats, railways, farms and road vehicles.