One pedal makes it go, and the other one makes it stop - but how much do you really know about your brakes? They’re critical to keeping your car on the road and your family safe. In fact, brakes use a lot of interesting technology to ensure that you always stop when you press the brakes. Here’s a quick explanation from How Stuff Works:
We all know that pushing down on the brake pedal slows a car to a stop. But how does this happen? How does your car transmit the force from your leg to its wheels? How does it multiply the force so that it is enough to stop something as big as a car?
When you depress your brake pedal, your car transmits the force from your foot to its brakes through a fluid. Since the actual brakes require a much greater force than you could apply with your leg, your car must also multiply the force of your foot. It does this in two ways:
- Mechanical advantage(leverage)
- Hydraulic force multiplication
The brakes transmit the force to the tires using friction, and the tires transmit that force to the road using friction also.
Learn more about your brakes and read the original article here: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/brake.htm
0 comments:
Post a Comment