An automotive braking system uses brake fluid to transmit force from the driver’s foot on the brake pedal to pistons that press brake pads against the wheels. In contrast, a bicycle tire is inflated by repeatedly compressing air with a hand-operated pump.
Answer the following questions about these two systems.
(a) Describe how the pressure changes inside each system when a constant external force is applied to the respective piston or pump handle.
(b) Using a particle-level model, compare the relative compressibility of the brake fluid and the air in the tire and explain how this difference affects the operation of the two devices.
(c) Engineers specify that only specially formulated brake fluid—not air—should fill brake lines. Explain two safety-related consequences that would occur if air bubbles were inadvertently introduced into the brake fluid.