NOx

NOx is a big word that you might hear when talking about cars and pollution. It stands for Nitrogen Oxides, which are gases that come out of car engines and can be bad for the air we breathe.

When you burn fuel in a car engine, like gas or diesel, it makes a lot of heat and energy. But it also makes these NOx gases as a kind of waste product, and they can float up into the air around the car.

NOx is not good for people or the environment because it can cause problems like smog, which is a thick haze that makes it hard to see and breathe. It can also combine with other chemicals in the air to make things like acid rain, which can be harmful to plants and animals.

To try to reduce NOx pollution, scientists and engineers work on making engines that burn fuel more cleanly, with less waste. This can include things like adding special filters or changing the way the engine works, so that there is less NOx created in the first place. Governments also create rules and laws to limit the amount of NOx that can come out of cars, to help keep the air clean and healthy for everyone.