The Otto cycle describes the thermodynamic processes that occur in a 4-stroke internal combustion engine. It consists of four stages: intake, compression, combustion (power), and exhaust. In the intake stroke, air-fuel mixture enters the cylinder. In compression, the mixture is compressed. In combustion, ignition causes the mixture to burn, expanding and producing power. In exhaust, burned gases are pushed out of the cylinder. The Otto cycle forms a closed loop on a pressure-volume diagram, with the area inside representing the work produced by the engine in each cycle.