Question

Q.2 [5 marks] How does softened wheel impact the grip on tyres

Answer 1

general idea is that, softer tires are usually a "softer compound" of rubber with a higher coefficient of friction (generally), a harder tire is a "harder compound) which generally tends to have a lower coefficient of friction. What happens in a higher friction, softer tire is that heat gets generated much easier, the opposite for a hard tire.

However each of these tires has a "window" where by if the tire is too cold it won't generate enough grip, but if it becomes too hot the rubber tends to act like melted butter and again won't generate enough grip, the challenge is to find the temperature in between where the tires can offer the best grip, this type of grip is known as mechanical grip.