ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nitrous oxide engine

Have you ever blown up a balloon? Did you notice when you blow air into the balloon, it gets bigger and bigger until it pops? Well, an engine works in a similar way, except instead of air, it uses a special gas called gasoline.

But sometimes, people want their engines to go even faster than they can with gasoline alone. That's where nitrous oxide comes in! Nitrous oxide is a really cold gas that can make an engine run faster. Think of it like when you get to eat your ice cream faster when you use a spoon instead of a fork.

Nitrous oxide is stored in a special tank and then pumped into the engine when the driver wants a boost of speed. This extra gas allows the engine to burn more gasoline than it normally would, which makes it run faster.

It's kind of like when you take a running start to jump as far as you can. When you run, you build up momentum and give yourself extra energy to go farther. Nitrous oxide gives the car's engine that extra energy boost, helping it go faster and farther.

But, just like how you can't eat ice cream all day every day, the use of nitrous oxide can't be sustained for too long. The extra energy can cause the engine to get really hot and potentially even break down. So it's only used for short bursts during races or other speed events.

That's the basic idea behind a nitrous oxide engine - it's like a little boost of energy that helps an engine run faster for a little while. Just remember to always race safely, even with that extra boost!