How Tanks Move
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The How
Tanks
use high power engines to turn a toothed
metal wheel called a sprocket. These
sprocket teeth connect to corresponding
grooves in the tanks' linked metal tracks
which the tanks road wheels run along. This
system of tracks and wheels offers more
traction than standard wheels. Instead of
the wheels having traction on the ground in
4 relatively small places, a tank has
traction along the entirety of its track,
meaning that there is more surface area for
the tank to grip, lessening the likelihood
of getting stuck, sinking, or losing
traction. Modern tanks even have slots in
the track to attach things like rubber pads
so they can drive on roads, or teeth so they
can better grip ice or loose ground.
--In the picture below, you
can see the metal sprocket to the rear of
the tank. You can also see the grooves in
the track and the road wheels that run along
the track.
Image source: I
took this picture at the sword beach museum in
Normandy