Final answer:
Bicycle brake pads function by converting kinetic energy into heat through friction. Applying force to the brake lever, which is increased through hydraulics based on Pascal's principle, presses the rubber pads onto the wheel, slowing the bike down.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bicycle brake pads, made of vulcanized rubber, are designed to decelerate the bike by converting kinetic energy into heat through friction. The process begins when the rider applies force to the brake lever, which gets amplified thanks to the principles of levers and hydraulics, based on Pascal's principle. This amplified force is then evenly transmitted via the hydraulic fluid to the brake pads which clamp onto the bicycle's tire. Vulcanized rubber has the property of maintaining its shape and gaining strength from the added sulfur bonds, which makes it an optimal material for brake pads, as explained by the history of the pneumatic tire invented by John Boyd Dunlop and the rubber vulcanization process discovered by Charles Goodyear.
The friction that occurs between the rubber brake pads and the metal rim of the bicycle wheel increases the temperature of both, ultimately causing the bike to slow down. Just like a book sliding across a floor loses kinetic energy due to friction, resulting in heat, the same basic physics applies to how bicycle brake pads function.