Answer to Question #153858 in Physics for Wesley Michailidis

Question

Explain how car brakes work to stop a car.

Answer 1

A moving car has kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. To stop the machine, you need to get rid of this kinetic energy. To do this, the force of friction is used, to convert this kinetic energy into heat. When you press your foot on the brake pedal, the connected lever pushes the piston into the master cylinder, which is filled with hydraulic fluid. This hydraulic fluid is sprayed through a system of pipes into other, wider cylinders located next to the brakes on each wheel. the hydraulic system multiplies the force of the foot on the brake pedal by sufficient force and forces the machine to stop.