Carburetor

engines · fuel · machines

Mixing air and fuel. A carburetor's main job is to blend gasoline with air in exactly the right amounts before the mixture enters the engine. Too much fuel and the engine chokes, too little and it won't have enough power.

The Venturi effect trick. Carburetors use a clever physics trick called the Venturi effect, where fast-moving air creates lower pressure that sucks fuel into the airstream. It's like how a straw pulls liquid up when you sip.

Powering older cars. For many decades, carburetors were the standard way to feed fuel to car engines. Nowadays, many newer cars use fuel injectors instead, but carburetors are still found in motorcycles, lawnmowers, and other small engines.

Fine-tuning the mix. Carburetors have special components that adjust how much fuel goes in depending on different driving conditions, like idling at a stoplight or accelerating on the highway.