Why does putting a carriage on rails make it much easier to pull? As in, how were the first trams such an improvement from omnibuses when the same weight was still being pulled?
In: 520
When a car runs on a road, its rubber wheels squish slightly. This squishing takes up energy, slowing the car down.
What’s more, if the road isn’t smooth it causes the car to bump up and down, what also takes up energy.
Steel wheels don’t squish much, and steel train tracks are durable enough that they stay smooth for a long time.
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