Which answer best describes the main benefit of the steam engine?

Question

It was used to create road-building materials.
It was used to power trains and steamboats.
It was used to run many factories in the 1820s.
It was used to help dig canals and build railroads.

Answer 1

The answer that best describes the main benefit of the steam engine is: It was used to power trains and steamboats.

While the steam engine did have various applications in factories, road-building, and canal digging, its most significant impact was in transportation, revolutionizing the movement of goods and people through the development of railways and steam-powered ships.