Automobiles are a sophisticated system of machines that provide transportation for people and goods. They are a fundamental element of industrialized society, and they have had an immense impact on the social life of humans around the world.
How They Work
The modern automobile consists of thousands of components that work together to make it run and reduce noise and pollution. The car’s main systems are the engine, which turns the wheels; the transmission, which controls how the vehicle moves; and the body, which is the part of the car that carries passengers.
Design of the Body
The body of a car must be shaped and sized to meet standards of safety, appearance, size and weight, aerodynamics (ways to lessen airflow friction), and fuel economy. It must also be able to comply with pollution-control requirements and laws for the type of materials used in construction.
How They Are Made
The process of making a new automobile generally takes three to five years from its conception to assembly. It is a challenge to design a car that meets consumer demands, so the companies use computer-aided design equipment to develop a basic concept of what the new model will look like. They then construct clay models of the cars with the help of stylists and aerodynamic engineers.
How They Change the Way We Live
The automobile changed the way we live because it gave people more freedom to move and work. They were able to go to the grocery store, work, and travel for business.
It also gave women the right to vote and allowed them to do things they could not do before. In 1916 two women drove across the country in a car with a “votes for women” banner on it and they even gave speeches from the car!
What They Do for Us
The most important thing an automobile does is transport people. It is the most popular form of ground transportation in the United States and around the world. It is a significant component of many industries, including trucking, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and tourism.
How They Shape Our Society
During the first half of the twentieth century, the automobile revolutionized American culture and industry. It changed the way we moved and worked, created vast new networks of interstate highways, and led to the development of a new kind of urban sprawl. Sprawl has contributed to the degrading of landscapes and has fueled traffic congestion, road rage, and other social ills.
How They Shape Our Environment
The automobile is an important contributor to global climate change. It uses fossil fuels, which are not renewable, and is a major cause of air pollution. It has also created new industries and jobs and has impacted the world’s climate.
The automobile has given people freedom to travel and to work but has encouraged a large amount of urban sprawl that degrades landscapes and produces traffic congestion. It also encourages traffic jams, which exacerbate the problem of air pollution.