ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

how do car brakes work?

Car brakes are like the stopping power of a car. The brakes on a car are really like a big clamp that stops the wheels from rotating. When you press the brake pedal, a hydraulic system (like a big invisible balloon) inside the car pushes fluid through a series of pipes to each of the wheels. This clamps the brakes down onto the spinning wheels, which makes them slow down and stop. This is how car brakes work!