If millions of tires have been worn down on the roads then where does all that worn off rubber go?

Question

If millions of tires have been worn down on the roads then where does all that worn off rubber go?

In: 7336

Answer 1

I recommend Randall Munroe’ book “What If..2” where, among many other interesting (and useless) trivia, he calculates that in average a car tyre leaves a 1 atom thick track behind wherever you drive. A bit more when you break, obviously (sometimes even a visible trace), and I reckon a bit less on very smooth surfaces (think: ice!) but in average it is about 1 atom thick and as wide as the wheel.

It is just that atoms are so incredibly small that after tens of thousands of kilometres it only takes off about a centimetre of tyre. Then you’ll need a new one… (sooner if you like to break hard a lot!)