How does gasoline power cars?

Question

I assume the gasoline is burnt to power the engine, or does it contain a chemical which creates a reaction? What’s the whole process?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Its a controlled explosion.

Your car has a few cylinders, likely 4, 6 or 8.

Gas is injected into a cylinder, and a spark plug ignites the gasoline. That forces the piston down, and the piston turns a crankshaft. This crankshaft will rotate around 3,000 revolutions per minute. (your car may have an Tachometer that tells you how fast your crankshaft is rotating. That energy is then used to turn the transmission, which is then used to turn the wheels.