Friction between braking surfaces converts kinetic energy into heat. In drum brakes, wheel cylinders force brake linings against the inside of the drum. In disc brakes, pads are forced against a brake disc.
Drum brakes have a brake shoe that expands against the inside of a drum. Disc brakes clamp a flat disc between two pads. An antilock braking system is a control system that applies maximum braking force without wheel-lock or skidding.
A lever allows small efforts to overcome large loads – or vice versa, depending on the type of lever. The ratio between load and effort for any given lever is known as the Mechanical Advantage.
Regenerative braking is any technology that allows a vehicle to recapture and store part of the kinetic energy that would ordinarily be lost when braking.
