Slippery Roads

    On my drive back to Hamilton, NY after Thanksgiving, it was pouring rain almost the entire way. My parents had warned me to drive slowly and be very cautious, this is because the rain on the road causes the road to become very slippery, the physics of friction can explain this. The slipperiness is caused by a lack of friction between the road and the tires. This is because as the tires move over the road with water on them, the water is filling in the tiny pores on the road and smoothing out the surface. This then makes the friction that is usually present on a dry road disappear and slipperiness is formed.

                                 

There were at least two instances on my drive where I felt my tires skid and cause the wheel to shake, I was able to gain control of the car, but it was very scary to actually feel the car lose control due to the heavy amount of water that was on the road. When driving in the rain, it is super important to keep in mind the physics of a wet surface.