Mechanical heat
Friction Heating Calculator
Sliding friction converts mechanical work into internal energy. Estimate the rate of energy dissipation and see how large an ideal temperature rise would be if all of that energy entered one selected mass.
Estimate frictional heating
Where the heat actually goes
Real contacts split generated heat between both surfaces. The partition depends on thermal properties, geometry, contact duration and motion. Heat then spreads by conduction and leaves by convection and radiation.
Why brakes become hot
Braking removes vehicle kinetic energy. Friction in pads and rotors converts much of that mechanical energy into internal energy, raising component temperatures until heat is transferred away.
Why the temperature estimate is intentionally conservative
If every joule were trapped in only the entered mass, the calculated rise would be relatively large. Real systems usually distribute energy over more material and reject some of it while heating occurs.
Related reading
Read the frictional heating guide, explore heat in vehicles, or calculate heating energy from mass and specific heat.