Cars
Mechanical compromises at 100 km/h.
Cars
Why do cars have crumple zones?
Making the ends of the car fold on impact stretches the crash over a longer moment, and a longer moment means a smaller force on the people inside.
5 min read
Cars
Why does braking distance quadruple when you double your speed?
Stopping means getting rid of kinetic energy, and that energy grows with the square of speed — so twice as fast is four times as much energy to shed.
5 min read
Cars
Why do tyres have treads?
Not for grip — a smooth tyre grips a dry road better. The grooves exist to give water somewhere to go, so the tyre can still touch the road in the rain.
5 min read