# The four-stroke engine

A four-stroke engine completes four distinct piston movements to convert fuel into motion: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. During intake, the piston draws in an air-fuel mixture; compression squeezes that mixture; combustion ignites it to drive the piston down with force; and exhaust expels the leftover gases. This cycle repeats continuously while the engine runs, powering most cars for over a century.