How does the hydraulic system work?
A hydraulic systems works on the idea that, unlike gasses, liquids cannot be compressed. By using this idea you can set up a system that transfers pressure through liquid to aid in the lifting of an object. One great example of this at work is the breaks in your car. When you put down your foot on the breaks you exert….lets say 100N (Newton’s) of force, the shaft which this force travels down would be about 4-5 cm in diameter, because the force traveling through liquid loses no energy, when the force reaches the actual pad on the wheel which has a surface area of (say) 20cm, it will exert 500N of force (force*area….5*100), which will inevitably stop the car. Initially the hydraulic system relied on water to transfer the force between the two areas, but once the true potential of this system was realized, companies set about to develop a special type of hydraulic liquid that was a poor conductor and help to reduce friction.
