James Watt (1736–1819) was a Scottish engineer and instrument-maker working at the University of Glasgow when he greatly improved the steam engine. The Newcomen engine in use at the time wasted huge amounts of fuel; Watt's addition of a separate condenser in 1769 made it far more efficient. With his Birmingham business partner Matthew Boulton, he produced engines that powered factories, mines and later locomotives across Britain.
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Watt also coined the term "horsepower" to compare engine output with the work done by horses. The unit of electrical power, the watt, is named after him. His improvements to the steam engine are usually identified as one of the key technical breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution.
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