Question

Which of the following made factories more efficient and cheaper to operate?(1 point) Responses The telegraph The telegraph The steam engine The steam engine The flying shuttle The flying shuttle The cotton gin

Answer 1

Among the options listed, the **steam engine** was the innovation that made factories more efficient and cheaper to operate. The steam engine provided a reliable and powerful source of energy that facilitated the mechanization of manufacturing processes, allowing factories to produce goods more quickly and at a lower cost compared to traditional methods that relied on water or manual labor.

The other options, while important in their own right (the telegraph improved communication, the flying shuttle enhanced weaving, and the cotton gin revolutionized cotton processing), were not directly instrumental in increasing the operational efficiency of factories in the same way that the steam engine was.