An automobile is moving along a highway. The driver jams on the brakes and the car skids to a halt. In what form does the lost kinetic energy of the car appear?

An automobile is moving along a highway. After applying the brakes by driver in an automobile, the car skids to a halt. So, the kinetic energy of the block decreases. At the same time, there is a corresponding increase in the internal energy of the system of automobile and surface of road. This increase in internal energy might be observed as a slight increase in the temperature of the surface of the tire and road. Due to the friction between two surfaces, there will be an increase in temperature. Thus, when the driver jams on the brakes, the kinetic energy of the car is converted into thermal energy due to the friction. Therefore, the loss of kinetic energy of the car appears in the form of thermal energy.