The document describes the key components and functioning of internal combustion engines. It notes that Nikolaus Otto successfully developed the compressed charge internal combustion engine to run on petroleum gas. It then explains the four strokes of a four-stroke engine: the intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke, and exhaust stroke. Each stroke involves the piston moving between top and bottom dead center and the opening and closing of inlet and exhaust valves. The document also provides a brief overview of how a two-stroke engine operates in two strokes rather than four.