Physics Of Brake Essay

Breaks are not something people take the time to think about. Even if they are fundamental to the vehicles many people use every day. The functionality of breaks is contributed to physics and engineers ability to understand that physics. There is a lot going on when people press on the brake pedal in their car. The most basic principle of brake pads is in fact friction. This friction is the thing that transfers the energy of the car moving forward to heat energy. Brakes also use pressure as a leverage when pressing the brake pedal. There is also, momentum and even sound in the physics brakes. All of which are physical properties. Brakes have multiple pieces that all work together to help a car come to a stop, or slow down. The main parts are the brake pads and the brake disk. The brake pad is composed of two parts on each side of the brake disk. The two parts each have a sheet of metal used to attach to the calliper and a large thicker piece of rough metal. The calliper is a half box that covers each of the brake pads connecting them together. The calliper also to the brake piston and brake cylinder, both of which connect to the hydraulic line …show more content…
When the material starts to wear away the small piece of metal is exposed to the brake disk. When the brake pads press against the brake disk so does the metal. The metal vibrates creating sound waves. The vibrations should reach the ear of the person driving. These vibration are typically at a high frequency. The high frequency is generally a “squeaking” sound that is designed to be annoying to many people. The sound usually is loud enough for the driver to hear. This means the amplitude of the sound wave needs to be large enough to be heard over the sound of the engine. The more the brake pad wears down the louder the sound becomes, signaling it is time for new brake pads. This little feature helps brakes from failing and hurting