Why not liquid?
2007-10-16 21:51:16 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
Please be helpful! :-) Thanks
2007-10-16 21:57:49 · update #1
Gas is lighter than air and is compressible.
If you filled tires with liquid, (water, oil etc.) they would ride very roughly, would be heavy, (reducing fuel economy and handling) and would likely explode upon hitting a pot-hole.
By the way, some tires are filled with pure Nitrogen. Why?
Regular air is a combination of gases; primarily oxygen, carbon-dioxide and a little nitrogen. There are traces of other elements too.
But nitrogen molecules are larger than the other gas molecules, so, a tire filled with nitrogen is less likely to leak. Nitrogen filled tires do not go flat as easily because the large nitrogen molecules can't escape through the rubber of the tire walls or tiny gaps in the rim.
Expensive service centers can fill your tires with nitrogen for a fee. You will discover that if you fill tires with the large molecules of nitrogen, they will stay inflated much longer!
2007-10-16 22:05:54 · answer #1 · answered by Aleph Null 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They are not filled with liquid because liquids are effectively incompressible and hence they would not absorb any of the bumps in the road. The liquid would also add weight to the car meaning it might take longer to stop and require more effort from the engine (when accelerating).
Gas on the other hand is light and compressible with the added bonus that air is freely available(just requiring a pump).
2007-10-16 22:00:48 · answer #2 · answered by Mike 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tube is made of rubber and is inflatable. When filled with air, the tube and the tyre (if it is a tubeless tyre, the tyre itself is made leaktight) have enough strength to take the load of the vehicle and at the same time have enough cushioning effect.
Water and other liquids are almost incompressible and thus the amount of inflation that they can give to the tube or tyre is limited. And if the tube or tire is filled completely the cushioning effect is lost.
If a leak takes place, it takes few seconds for the air to leak out. With liquid, it will be instantaneous and that can be quite dangerous to the vehicle.
2007-10-16 22:09:19 · answer #3 · answered by Swamy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why not Grape Jelly?
2007-10-16 21:53:55 · answer #4 · answered by Mark 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋