What principle/law explains the working of the hydraulic brakes in automobiles?
(1) Bernoulli’s law
(2) Posieulle’s principle
(3) Pascal’s law
(4) Archimedes’ principle
Answer: (3) Hydraulic brakes work on the principle of Pascal’s law which states that “pressure at a point in a fluid is equal in all directions in space”. According to this law when pressure is applied to the fluid it travels equally in all directions so that uniform braking action is applied on all four wheels. The hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing ethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the operator of the vehicle, to the actual brake mechanism, which is usually at or near the wheel of the vehicle.
