Understanding the Principles and How Car Brakes Work

The brake components will certainly not be absent from all types of vehicles. The brake itself functions to reduce the speed or velocity of the vehicle. To regulate the speed of the vehicle, the working principle of the car brake is the occurrence of friction between the road and the tires. This process is quite complex, so let's take a look at the following explanation. 

The Braking Process in Cars  

1. The Occurrence of Friction and the Transfer of the Car's Gravity 

In general, the working principle of the brake elements is based on the friction between the tires and the road surface. The brakes used will add load to the tires and ultimately the friction will help reduce the speed of the vehicle. This friction occurs because the tires stop rotating and are static, thus creating a friction effect on the two surfaces.

You can observe this with the screeching sound often heard when braking. In this braking process, the center of gravity of the vehicle will shift according to which brakes are active. Generally, braking will start with the front brakes followed by the rear wheels. 

2. The Change of Kinetic Energy into Heat 

The working principle of the car brake is due to the change of kinetic energy into heat energy. When the brakes are activated, the vehicle cannot stop immediately. When the car's engine is released with the transfer of kinetic energy, the vehicle tends to keep moving. This happens because the engine does not truly lose its driving power. 

If observed, this occurs because the engine operates on the principle of converting heat energy into kinetic energy. Meanwhile, the brake system uses the principle of reversal. Here, braking actually uses kinetic energy to be converted into heat energy as a way to reduce the speed of the vehicle. 

As mentioned in the previous point, the friction occurs because the car tires stop and meet the asphalt road. This stopping tire is caused by the meeting of the brake shoes and the brake drum or rotor. The working principle of the car brake is that the rotational motion energy of the wheels, which changes due to friction, will be converted into heat energy. 

Then, this heat energy will be released directly into the outside air. If you are still confused, actually these first and second principles are interconnected. The friction from the brake shoes and drum will force the tires to stop instantly. Then the friction between the stopped tire surface and the asphalt will reduce the speed of the car. 

3. The Lever Principle on the Brake Pedal with Hydraulic Pressure 

Both processes and principles are closely related to the operation of the brake pedal. When the pedal is pressed, the master cylinder will convert the applied pressure into hydraulic pressure. The brake pedal itself has a lever principle that converts the small pedal pressure into a larger one right at the master cylinder. 

This pressure will be channeled to the wheel cylinder or brake caliper located in the car's drum. According to Pascal's law, this pressure will activate the brake disc pad or brake lining to reduce the rotation of the tires. So the working principle of the car brake is related to hydraulic pressure, friction force, and heat force. 

It can be concluded that the principle of the brake components is very complex. The friction between the tires and the road will shift the car's gravity. Then the system also operates due to the change of kinetic energy into heat. Meanwhile, the master cylinder converts the lever principle of the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure to reduce speed.

Read Also:  4 Signs You Need to Replace Your Car Brakes