|
BEARING
The bearing makes many of the machines we use
every day possible. Without bearings, we would
be constantly replacing parts that wore out from
friction
The concept behind a bearing is very
simple: Things roll better than they slide. The
wheels on your car are like big bearings. If you
had something like skis instead of wheels, your
car would be a lot more difficult to push down
the road.
That is because when things slide, the friction
between them causes a force that tends to slow
them down. But if the two surfaces can roll over
each other, the friction is greatly reduced.
Bearings reduce friction by providing smooth metal
balls or rollers, and a smooth inner and outer
metal surface for the balls to roll against. These
balls or rollers "bear" the load, allowing
the device to spin smoothly.
|
|