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How does a car work? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Under the hood
Have you ever looked under the hood of the car to see what its parts look like? If not, find out if you can! Maybe you even have a friend or family member who knows a lot about car engines and call tell you about what you see inside!
Do all of the parts look like what you had imagined, or had you pictured something different??
When you’re riding in a car, you may not necessarily think about what’s making it go, aside from the grown-up in the driver’s seat. But in truth, cars get their power and their ability to move from their very special construction and from energy-filled substances that fuel them.
If you’ve ever been to the gas station, then you probably already know that cars need gasoline, or petroleum, to run. The car’s engine runs on a mixture of gasoline and air. Just like a hot fire gives off energy when it burns, so does the gasoline! The spark that gets the whole thing going comes from the car’s battery, which gets powered when the driver turns the key in the ignition.
Once the whole thing is going, the energy the car gets from the gas it burns moves the car forward! A special part of the car called the “transmission” passes all the energy from the engine to the wheels. The driver then uses the wheel to steer and guide the car in the direction in needs to go, and uses the car’s brakes to slow the car down when at a stoplight or when arriving at the destination!
- Since gasoline is so helpful at powering machines like cars, it is a very desired resource. However, just like the Earth’s other natural resources, such as trees and water, gasoline does not come in unlimited amounts. Because of this, many people are currently looking for alternate ways to power their cars! Some examples include new “hybrid cars,” which combine part-electricity and part-gasoline!
- Remember that there are also other ways to help save gasoline. For example, you can walk or ride your bike instead of hopping in a car when the distance is short. On a nice day, open the windows in the car instead of running the air conditioning, and always make sure the grown-up you are with turns off the car engine when you run inside to the store!
Under the hood
Have you ever looked under the hood of the car to see what its parts look like? If not, find out if you can! Maybe you even have a friend or family member who knows a lot about car engines and call tell you about what you see inside!
Do all of the parts look like what you had imagined, or had you pictured something different??
