Final answer:
The principles of physics explain that sudden maneuvers in a vehicle, such as steering or braking, can disrupt the vehicle's balance due to changes in forces acting upon it. The corresponding loss of tire traction can be understood through concepts like inertia, centrifugal force, and the importance of tire pressure and friction.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing how sudden steering or braking maneuvers affect a vehicle's balance and potentially cause a loss of tire traction, we're dealing with principles of physics, specifically relating to forces and motion. Imagine a traffic cone placed on its tip; when it's displaced, its center of gravity shifts and it falls over. This is similar to what happens to a car during abrupt steering or braking actions.
Centrifugal force is a term used to describe the resistance to change in motion when a car turns; it isn't a real force, but rather the sensation due to the body's inertia as described by Newton's first law of motion. Your body feels like it's being pushed outwards during a turn because it wants to continue straight while the car changes direction. When you brake or steer suddenly, the forces acting on the car can exceed the friction between the tires and the road, which is necessary to maintain control.
As tires flex and heat up during driving, the air pressure inside them increases which impacts how the tires interact with the road surface. The right pressure and a sufficient coefficient of friction are essential to keep a car on its intended path during maneuvers.