Why don't they use normal air in race car tires?

FromBrainStuff

Start listening View podcast show

Why don't they use normal air in race car tires?

FromBrainStuff

ratings:

Length:

3 minutes

Released:

Feb 13, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Race car tires are often filled with nitrogen because nitrogen pressure is more consistent than air pressure. In this episode, Marshall explains why nitrogen is better for race cars -- but not for regular vehicles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Feb 13, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

Skip carousel

How Breathing in a Submarine Work: For air in a submarine to remain usable, three things must happen: The oxygen must be replenished as it is consumed, the carbon dioxide must be removed from the air, and the moisture in human breath must also be removed. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How the Corvette ZR1 Works: The 2009 Corvette ZR1 combines several technical innovations to produce a turbo-charged, eight-cylinder engine. Learn more about the Corvette ZR1 in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Perceiving Earth as a Sphere Works: Is there any way that people could know the world is sphere while standing on the earth? Learn more about perceiving earth as a sphere in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Activated Charcoal Works: If you look on the label of a water filter, you'll often see the filter contains activated charcoal -- but what exactly is this stuff? Tune in as Marshall Brain explains the nature of activated charcoal in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Fountains in Rome Work: Built before the invention of electric pumps, fountains in Rome were powered through an ingenious system of gravity, cisterns, and aqueducts. Learn more about fountains in Rome in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How do satellites orbit the Earth?: In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall explains the physics behind satellites and orbits. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
How Vacuums Work: If a balloon was filled by a vacuum -- rather than helium or air -- would it float? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn the science behind balloons and vacuum. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Maple Syrup Works: The clear, thin sap of Maple trees must be boiled down to create maple syrup -- it takes about 30 to 40 gallons of sap to create one gallon of syrup. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Maple syrup. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Car Thermostats Work: Any liquid-cooled car engine has a thermostat that blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. Learn how the thermostat works to reduce wear, deposits and emissions in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How gas pumps work: Next time you're filling up your tank at a gas station, ask yourself this: how does the nozzle know when the tank is full? Learn more about gas pumps in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How much fuel does an international airplane use for a trip?: A Boeing 747 uses approximately one galloon of fuel per second -- over the course of a ten hour flight, it might burn 36,00 galloons of fuel. How does this compare to a car? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about airplane mileage. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What type of gas do race cars use?: Different types of racing vehicles require different types of fuel. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of each fuel type. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How does SETI at home work?: SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- is an enormous, global undertaking meant to detect signs of life beyond our solar system. Learn how you can help from home in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
What is the Difference Between a Carat and a Karat?: Carats are used for diamonds, while karats are used for gold. Learn more about the difference between carats and karats in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Fever Works: In this podcast, learn what causes a fever and what actually happens to the body when a fever occurs. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What causes the banging noise in my home's pipes?: The problem of pipes banging on a wall is often called "water hammer." Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about this phenomenon. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Uninterruptible Power Supplies Work: An uninterruptible power supply protects computers against surges, spikes, sags, and total power failure. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about uninterruptible power supplies. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How do they backlight LCD screens?: In this episode, Marshall explains the two technologies that are used to backlight LCD panels. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How the Virtual First-Down Line Works: Virtual first down lines are used to indicate where play resumes in football -- but how do they work? Listen in as Marshall Brain explains how the technology superimposes a virtual line in this podcast on HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
How Gun Silencers Work: The sound of gunfire is incredibly loud, and it is amazing that anything is able to silence a firearm. However, the principle behind a gun silencer is surprisingly simple. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about silencers. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How big does a meteor have to be to reach the ground?: If you've spent much time looking up at the night sky, then you've probably seen some spectacular meteor showers. But how big do these things have to be make it through Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground? Tune in and find out. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
Is it possible to get free land and free houses in the U.S.?: In the 1860s, the Homestead Act provided free land to settlers. Is there anything like that in 2010? In this episode, Marshall explains why and how it's possible to acquire land and houses for free -- or really cheaply -- in the United States today. by BrainStuff
6 min listen
How long can a germ live in a room?: How long can a germ last outside the body? It depends. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to find out how different germs fare outside the body. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Do the humps on camels hold water?: The camel's hump is a giant deposit of fat that lets the camel survive up to 2 weeks without food. Learn more about camels in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Why the Sky is Blue?: As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, particles in the air scatter blue light more efficiently than any other color in the light spectrum, creating a blue sky. Learn more about the sky and light in this Brainstuff podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Are florescent bulbs really more efficient?: Customers are increasingly choosing long-lasting alternatives to traditional incandescent lights. But are florescent lightbulbs really more efficient than traditional lightbulbs? Listen in and find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
Anti-reflective Coatings: Anti-reflective coatings are used to eliminate any light reflective off the back of the lenses. Learn about anti-reflective coatings in this BrainStuff episode. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How many people does it take to do a Formula 1 pit stop?: If you've ever seen a Formula 1 race, then you know the race isn't just between cars -- it's also between pit stop crews. In seven seconds these crews perform an entire pit stop. But how does it work, and how many people does it take? Tune in to find out. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
How does the Nobel Prize work?: Nobel Prizes are highly prestigious, valuable awards that have been given out to visionaries and pioneers in select fields since 1901. Tune in to find out more about the Nobel Prize in this episode of BrainStuff. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What is an MRE?: An MRE -- or meal ready to eat -- contains precooked, sterilized food originally made to nourish soldiers. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the retort packaging that makes MREs possible. by BrainStuff
1 min listen

More Episodes from BrainStuff

Skip carousel

What's the Difference Between Sociopathy and Psychopathy? by BrainStuff
10 min listen
Are Humans Built to Drink Milk After Childhood? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Should You Escape a Sinking Car? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
How Do Cherry Blossom Trees Work? by BrainStuff
10 min listen
How Did Bessie Stringfield Shape Motorcycle History? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
How Do Squirrels Organize Their Hoards? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Makes Some Lakes Explode? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Palm Oil in So Many Things? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
Where Did the Word 'OK' Come From? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
Should You Beware the Ides of March? by BrainStuff
8 min listen
How Do Fruit Bats Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
What Are Meat Sweats? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Did Susan B. Anthony Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Happens When Elevator Cables Break? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: How Can I Donate My Brain to Science? by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Why Is the Ocean Different Colors? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Are You Picturing the Right Brachiosaurus? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
How Does Critical Race Theory Work? by BrainStuff
12 min listen
Is Oxytocin Really A Love Drug? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
How Do Pistol Shrimp Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Did London Once Have a Train for the Dead? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Does Beer Foam Last Longer Than Soda Foam? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Did Maya Angelou Work? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
How Does Scurvy Work? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
Do Cows Really Pollute As Much As Cars? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Where Does Earth's Water Come From? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Why Does the Orchid Mantis Imitate Flowers? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: When We Lose Weight, Where Does It Go? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Can Probiotics Really Do? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
Is Jaywalking Still a Crime? by BrainStuff
7 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

How do thirty pounds of air in your tires hold up two tons of car?: Cars are heavy machines, so how can a few small, pressurized tires support their weight? Marshall Brain explains how tire pressure and contact patches work in this episode. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Why do most cars use gasoline instead of diesel?: Diesel engines are more efficient than engines that run on gasoline, yet they've never really caught on in passenger cars in the United States. Discover the many reasons why diesel engines aren't the norm in this episode of BrainStuff. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
Should you fill your tires with nitrogen?: Many race car teams fill their tires with nitrogen, but is it right for your daily driver? Join Scott and Ben as they break down the facts - and fiction - surrounding nitrogen vs. 'regular air' in your car's tires. by CarStuff
43 min listen
What makes NASCAR engines different from other engines?: NASCAR engines are built for maximum efficiency, and they're much more powerful than regular engines. Marshall Brain discusses five ways in which NASCAR engines differ from regular ones in this episode. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
Racing Support Vehicles: Although the race cars are the stars of the show, they're far from the only vehicles involved. Join the guys as they explore the roles of racing support vehicles, as well as why racing couldn't work without them. by CarStuff
52 min listen
How can a car get 100 MPG?: Created in the 1980s, the Avion is a car that can get more than 100 miles per gallon. In this episode, Marshall Brain talks about the factors that make the Avion so efficient -- and how the same techniques could be applied to production vehicles. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
How do gasoline direct injection engines work?: The latest improvement on the internal combustion engine is called gasoline direct injection. In this episode, Marshall explains how gasoline direct injection technology works -- and how soon we'll see it in production vehicles. by BrainStuff
5 min listen
How many more miles of EV range can your tires give you?: If we're talking about electric vehicles, I'll give it about five minutes before we hit the ol' "range" topic. Typically, the conversation swings into range anxiety territory, and this makes talking about easy ways to extend the driver's range so much... by The Amped EV Podcast
21 min listen
How do exhaust headers work to improve an engine's performance?: The goal of headers is to make it easier for an engine to push out exhaust gasses. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how exhaust headers channel exhaust gasses and improve engine efficiency. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Why do I have to change my oil?: Everyone knows that cars need oil changes, usually every 3,000 miles. But what if we didn't change our oil? Listen in and learn more about the necessity of oil changes -- and the possibility of 'lifetime' oil -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by CarStuff
13 min listen
Is your exhaust sound real or digital?: Every driver knows that the sound of a car is an irreplaceable, unique part of the ride - part of its fingerprint, perhaps. But if that's the case, then why are so many manufacturers installing synthesized exhaust sounds? by CarStuff
43 min listen
Are motorcycles really more dangerous than cars?: Compared with people driving cars and trucks, do motorcycle riders face a higher risk of death or injury in a crash? Find out what motorcycle manufacturers and some riding gear companies are doing to make your next two-wheeled adventure a lot safer. by CarStuff
42 min listen
Saving Money on Car Rentals: On this episode of "Talking Points," Autoslash CEO Jonathan Weinberg talks about the ins and outs of car rentals. Weinberg explains how AutoSlash saves consumers thousands of dollars on car rentals each year, warns about costly fees to watch ... by Talking Points
25 min listen
Top Fuel Dragsters: Top fuel dragsters are one of the world's most extreme racing classes, but how do they work? Learn the details of top fuel drag-racing -- from the quarter-mile track to the burnout and more -- in this episode of High Speed Stuff. by CarStuff
30 min listen
How does a hybrid car work?: Hybrid cars combine electric motors and smaller gasoline engines in an attempt to increase efficiency. Find out exactly how they work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
Do Modern Cars Still Need Tuneups? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
The Best Fleets To Drive For: What are the best fleets to drive for and what do they all have in common? In this episode you will learn about the Best Fleets contest and why you should care. The Best Fleets To Drive For contest has had a major impact on the trucking industry... by Driven Too Far: The Truth About Trucking
14 min listen
How Engine Swaps Work: Have you ever been disappointed by your car's engine? What if you could swap it out for something faster, stronger and better than the factory version? Listen in as Scott and Ben take a look at the challenging -- and rewarding -- art of engine swaps. by CarStuff
22 min listen
Why won't my car start?: If you're the average driver, then it's likely you've turned your car's ignition and felt a sinking sensation as the car refused to start -- but what's the problem, exactly? Tune in and discover the common causes of no-start conditions in this podcast. by CarStuff
24 min listen
IRP #34: Sponsorship Perspectives From A Marketing Executive: Do you ever feel like you don't understand what potential sponsors are looking for? What's important to them? What they want to achieve from their sponsorship? Business expert and motorsports professional John Robbins asks Travis Roffler, Director of... by The Inside Racing Podcast
60 min listen
The recall of 67 million airbag inflators by There Auto Be A Law
68 min listen
032: Start WINNING Races With Aerodynamics. by Tuned In
96 min listen
Fuel System by Startup Hustle
42 min listen
Why doesn't gasoline burn cleanly?: Since gasoline is a liquid formed of carbon and hydrogen, it's possible to trace the chemical reactions in car exhaust and understand what types of pollutants are created by a car's engine. Tune in and learn more about the science behind burning gas. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
The Straight Shift, #19: The Truth About Gasoline: In this episode of "The Straight Shift", The Car Chick explains what is meant by the octane number of gasoline and why it's critical to use the right type of gas in your vehicle. Does using Premium gas give more power or better gas mileage? Is... by The Straight Shift with The Car Chick
32 min listen
How can I repair my own car?: There's a certain undeniable satisfaction found in repairing one's own vehicle. Check in with the High Speed Stuff crew as they take a look at the industry built around do-it-yourself car repair in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by CarStuff
11 min listen
2023 Nissan Z Performance Manual: Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #412 by Talking Cars (MP3)
28 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Would Happen If You Wrecked a Car on a Test-Drive? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
What do the brake warning lights mean in my car?: The brake warning lights in your car light up as part of a routine test. When they stay on, they indicate that there's something wrong with your brake system. Learn more about brake warning lights in this episode. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
The Worst Places in the World to Buy a Car: If you’re a car enthusiast, consider the countries mentioned in this episode as a list of places that you don’t ever want to live. Listen in as the CarStuff guys talk about some of the worst (and most expensive) places in the world to buy a car. by CarStuff
52 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Why don't they use normal air in race car tires?

Why don't they use normal air in race car tires?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from BrainStuff

Related podcast episodes