What happens when you change gears with a manual car? Like what happens that allows the car run better and go faster?
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Changing gears changes the gear ratio between the power train and the wheels. In lower gears, the engine makes more rotations per minute (RPMs) relative to how much the wheels turn. This gives more power, allowing the vehicle to get moving from a stand-still or to increase speed without too much stress on the engine. Whereas higher gears provide more spin to the wheels but less power.
Higher gears don’t necessarily allow the car to “run better.” You would likely not be able to get your car to move from a stand-still if you tried to put it into the highest gear from park. And if it did, it would put a huge amount of strain on the engine, making it prone to failure.
The best way to think about it is when riding a bike as its gears do the same thing. Try starting from a stand-still or climb a hill in the highest gear, and it requires a whole lot of effort on your part. Down-shift a bit, and you don’t have to apply as much force to the pedals to move. Then once you get moving on the bike, you can up-shift to maintain a high coasting speed without your legs spinning furiously.
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