English Essay on “Man’s use of the Forces of Nature” complete Paragraph and Speech for School, College Students, essay for Class 8, 9, 10, 12 and Graduation Classes.

Man’s use of the Forces of Nature

Man, as an animal, is much weaker than many other animals. He has not the strength of the elephant, nor the speed of the horse. But he has a mind such as no other animal has ; and it is by his superior intelligence that he has learnt to catch and tame and use for his own ends such great natural forces as wind, water, fire, steam and electricity. He has harnessed these powers as his servants.

Long ago, by the clever invention of sails, he used the winds to carry him in the ships across the sea. By means of windmills, he forced the wind, too, to grind his corn, raise water by pumps and drain wet land.

In the same way, he makes water drive the machinery mills and factories. Before the discovery of the power of steam, most of the mills in England were driven by water-power. And to-day in America the great Niagara Falls supply power to many factories, and are used to generate electricity. Here in India, the Cauvery Falls generate electric power which is conveyed to Mysore and Bangalore ninety miles away.

Man very early discovered the useful power of fire, and used it to cook his food, to keep him warm, and to smelt metals. And to-day, to see a great iron-foundry pouring out white-hot molten metal, is to have a vision of the power of man over such a terrible force as fire. Fire, also, applied to water, gives man steam the great motive power of the world.

The discovery of the expansive power of steam led to the invention of the steam engine. From it have come the rail-way engine, the steamship, the great factory with its steam-driven machinery ; and from these, the great towns, the large industries and the widespread commerce of the world.

Finally, man has captured and tamed to his use the lightning. As the nineteenth century was the age of steam, this is the age of electricity. We have electric light, and electric heating and cooking and refrigerating. We send messages by the electric telegraph and cable all over the world. We speak to each other at a distance by the electric telephone. Electricity drives trains and trams for us, and makes the cinema possible. And now by wireless we can hear speech and music hundreds and thousands of miles away, brought to our ears with the speed of light by the electric waves in the ether.