Shock absorber

A shock absorber is a mechanical support designed to smooth out a sudden shock impulse and dissipate kinetic energy over an extended period of time. There are several commonly-used approaches to shock absorption:

• Hysteresis of structural material, for example the compression[?] of rubber disks, stretching[?] of rubber bands, or bending[?] of steel springs
• Dry friction, for example in wheel brakes
• Fluid friction, for example the flow of fluid through a narrow orifice (hydraulics)
• Compression of a gas, for example pneumatic shock absorbers.
• Magnetic effects

Pneumatic and hydraulic shock absorbers commonly take the form of a cylinder with a sliding piston inside. Spring-based shock absorbers commonly use helical springs[?] or leaf springs[?], though coil springs[?] can be used to absorb torsional shocks as well.

Shock absorbers are an important part of automobile suspensions, aircraft landing gear[?], and the supports for many industrial machines. Large shock absorbers have also been used in architecture to reduce the susceptibility of structures to earthquake damage.