* Be located anywhere with access to coal: Prior to the steam engine, factories were limited to locations with reliable water power. The steam engine freed factories from this constraint, allowing them to be built in urban areas near labor pools or transportation hubs.
* Operate year-round: Water power was unreliable during droughts or freezing temperatures. Steam engines provided a consistent power source that could operate year-round.
* Be larger and more powerful: Steam engines could power much larger and more complex machinery than water wheels, enabling the production of goods on a much larger scale.
* Be more efficient: Steam engines were more efficient than water wheels, meaning that factories could produce more goods with less energy input.
* Drive new inventions and industries: The steam engine was a key driver of the Industrial Revolution, leading to the development of new technologies like the steam locomotive and the steam ship.
In short, the steam engine revolutionized industrial production by making it more powerful, efficient, flexible, and scalable.
