Automobile or Related Car Terms

A change in velocity which happens when something speeds up, slows down, or moves in a different direction: Acceleration is the rate of change in speed with respect to time.

A lever designed to control the speed of an engine by actuating the carburetor throttle valve or fuel-injection control: An accelerator is the gas pedal, attached to the throttle in the carburetor or fuel-injection system.

A device for measuring speed or to recognize and assess vibrations Acceleration is measured by a device called an accelerometer, the basic component of which is usually a heavy mass that moves only in one dimension and is supported by springs.

The simplest accelerometer consists of just one weight and has a sliding electrical contact attached to it. As acceleration increases, the weight slips back and a higher voltage is generated. As acceleration decreases, the weight moves forward and a lower voltage is generated.

A fluid added to gas or oil to improve automobile performance: In small engines, oil could be added to gas as an additive in order to improve lubrication.

The scientific study of the effects of air in motion on an object: Aerodynamics can be exemplified either by objects moving through air, such as aircraft or automobiles, or by stationary object affected by moving air, including bridges or tall buildings.

Aerodynamics is the science of designing smoothly shaped cars and other vehicles so they travel faster and waste less energy as when moving along designated travel surfaces.

An exhaust manifold that burns off carbon monoxide and fuel in the exhaust system: Afterburners are used to produce extra power or thrust.

A safety restraint in a car or other automobile: Airbags are located in a steering wheel, dashboard, and/or side doors that automatically inflate to protect passengers from injury in an accident.

Airbags are devices which are parts of the passive safety system.

Airbags make it possible for passengers to stop more slowly than the car. When the airbag sensor detects a large decelaration, or a sudden stop, the bags inflate in less than a twentieth of a second, giving a much softer impact than the steering wheel would have on the driver.

An airbag will also help a passenger from being thrust forward with as much force as he/she would be without the protection of the airbag and so being thrown more slowly means less force and less harm to the person who is involved.

1. The pattern of air movements around a moving vehicle (no pl): Airflow is invisible, unless it is studied under special conditions in a wind tunnel.
2. A wind that blows very high above the Earth: The weather forecaster had diagrams or charts showing the airflow and its effect on the weather for the following days.

A body, part, or surface designed to provide a useful reaction on itself: Airfoils on an airplane can produce lift or thrust, during motion through the air.

1. A mixture of a metal with smaller quantities of other metals, or even nonmetals, to make it harder, to survive high temperatures, or to improve it in other ways: Alloy wheels on vehicles use strong, lightweight alloys, that are based on aluminum.

2. Any of various materials having metallic properties and composed of two or more closely mixed chemical elements, of which at least one is a metal: Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

Alloys are produced to obtain some desirable quality, such as greater hardness, strength, lightness, or durability.

Any of various compounds that are added to gasoline to reduce engine knocking: Tetraethyl lead was the most widely used antiknock compound, but because of its contribution to air pollution, this antiknock has been replaced by a nonmetallic compound in lead-free gasolines.

An electronic control system that applies a car's brakes in short bursts to prevent skidding: The antilock brake system in a cr allows the driver to keep control of the car and to shorten the braking distance, especially on slippery surfaces.

Any self-guided, motorized passenger vehicle, or vehicles, used for land transport; usually, with four wheels and an internal combustion engine; a category typically including passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and light trucks.

A sturdy metal rod on which the wheels of a car rotate: After the bad accident, Tom was told that the axel, or the transverse shaft connecting the front wheels, had been broken and that it would cost a lot to have it repaired.

A device that generates electric power through chemical reactions: A battery is a direct-current voltage source consisting of two o more electrochemical cells connected in a series or parallels to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.

The cell of a battery contains a negative electrode, a positive electrode, an electrolyte held between the electrodes, and a container or housing.

In contrast to the alternating current available in homes, businesses, cities, etc. from the electric utility companies, batteries deliver a direct current that always flows in one direction.

Colloquially, the term battery is often used in place of the more proper term cell. The common 1.5 volt flashlight battery is actually a single cell.