Cars and Trucks at Work

A look inside

The opening of Cars and Trucks at Work, free to read.

1. 

   Meet the family car

   1. The hood is a lid on the front of the car. Under the hood sits the engine, the part that makes the car go.

   2. The big front window is called the windshield. It is made of strong safety glass. The windshield keeps out wind, rain, and bugs.

   3. Most cars have four doors. Each door has a lock and a window.

   4. A car rolls on four wheels. Every wheel wears a rubber tire that grips the road.

   5. The trunk is a space at the back of the car. It holds bags, toys, and groceries.

2. 

   In the driver's seat

   1. The driver turns the steering wheel to point the car left or right.

   2. In most cars, the right pedal makes the car go faster. The left pedal is the brake, which slows the car down.

   3. The gear selector has letters on it. The driver picks P for park, R for reverse, N for neutral, or D for drive.

   4. The speedometer shows how fast the car is going.

   5. Small pictures on the dashboard light up when something needs attention, like low fuel or an open door.

3. 

   What makes a car go?

   1. Most cars run on gasoline, a liquid fuel. Gasoline holds stored energy, the way food holds energy for your body.

   2. The engine turns the energy in fuel into spinning. It is the car's power maker.

   3. The spinning travels from the engine to the wheels. When the wheels turn, the car rolls. The next pages follow this path, one step at a time.

   Try it

   What makes a car go?

   Press and hold Go to send more gasoline to the engine. Then let go and watch.

   Try it plays here in your browser.