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The overall stopping distance of a vehicle is influenced by brake condition and vehicle speed, consisting of thinking distance and braking distance. Poor brake conditions can lead to longer stopping distances due to reduced friction, while good brakes enhance safety by allowing for quicker stops. Vehicle speed has a significant effect, with thinking distance increasing linearly and braking distance increasing exponentially, meaning higher speeds require much greater braking force and can lead to overheating and loss of control.

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128 views2 pages

Answer

The overall stopping distance of a vehicle is influenced by brake condition and vehicle speed, consisting of thinking distance and braking distance. Poor brake conditions can lead to longer stopping distances due to reduced friction, while good brakes enhance safety by allowing for quicker stops. Vehicle speed has a significant effect, with thinking distance increasing linearly and braking distance increasing exponentially, meaning higher speeds require much greater braking force and can lead to overheating and loss of control.

Uploaded by

Neelam Latif
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Analyze the effect of the following on the overall stopping distance of a moving

vehicle: brake condition, vehicle speed.

Ans: The stopping distance of a car is the distance it travels in the time it takes to stop
in response to an emergency

 The stopping distance consists of two parts:

 The thinking distance


 The braking distance

1. Brake Condition

Braking is a mechanism that transforms the vehicle's kinetic energy into mechanical energy. The
disc brake is a system which is used to de-accelerate or stop wheel rotation. The wheel is
attached to a brake disc or rotor, typically made of cast iron or a ceramic composite. By acting
mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically or electromagnetically on both sides of the disc, the
friction material of the brake pad mounted on a system called a brake calliper is forced to stop
the wheels. For the investigation of how disc brake functions more effectively, it is important to
understand action force and friction force on the disc brake with new material, which can help
minimise heat generation and provide better tribological performance. The braking distance of a
vehicle can be increased by:

 poor road and weather conditions, such as gravel, or wet or icy roads - less friction
between tyres and the road
 poor vehicle conditions, such as worn brakes or worn tyres - less friction between brakes
and wheels
 more mass in the vehicle (more passengers for example) - the braking friction has to
work for a greater distance to remove the larger kinetic energy

When a force is applied to the brakes of a vehicle, there is work done by the friction between the
brakes and the wheel. This reduces the kinetic energy of the vehicle, slowing it down and
causing the temperature of the brakes to increase.

The condition of the brakes has a major effect on the braking distance, which is one of the two
components of the overall stopping distance (the other being thinking distance).

 Good Condition Brakes:


o Function efficiently, providing strong and quick deceleration.
o Help reduce braking distance significantly.
o Allow the vehicle to stop in a shorter distance, improving safety.
 Poor or Faulty Brakes:
o May not apply enough friction to the wheels, leading to longer stopping distances.
o Could cause the vehicle to skid or lose control.
o In extreme cases, may fail completely, resulting in no deceleration from braking.
2. Vehicle Speed

 The stopping distance increases considerably with the speed of a car.This is mostly
because a car will travel further whilst braking before coming to rest.

Vehicle speed has a direct and exponential effect on the stopping distance:

 Thinking Distance increases linearly with speed:


o At higher speeds, the vehicle covers more distance during the driver's reaction
time.
 Braking Distance increases with the square of the speed:
o For example, doubling the speed (e.g., from 30 km/h to 60 km/h) quadruples the
braking distance.

The faster a vehicle travels, the greater the braking force needed to stop it in a certain distance. A
greater braking force produces a greater deceleration. Large decelerations may cause the brakes
to overheat, and the driver may also lose control of the vehicle.

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