A catalytic converter asks a single brick of ceramic to do two chemically opposite jobs at once: burn what is unburned and un-burn what got over-oxidized. This is how the three-way catalyst pulls off that contradiction, why it lives or dies by the air-fuel ratio, and why a thimble of leaded fuel kills it.
Automotive-Engineering
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How a Catalytic Converter Works: Chemistry at 800 Degrees -
How a Differential Works: The Gearbox That Lets Wheels Disagree The differential solves a geometry problem so quietly that most drivers never notice it exists: two wheels on one axle must turn at different speeds through every corner. This is the gear train that lets them disagree, the traction failure it creates, and how limited-slip and locking diffs fix it.
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Turbochargers and Forced Induction: Making Power From Exhaust the Engine Was Already Throwing Away How a turbocharger converts wasted exhaust energy into intake boost for free, why that gift arrives late (turbo lag) and how wastegates and variable geometry manage it, the wastegate-versus-blow-off-valve distinction people constantly confuse, why intercoolers matter more as boost rises, and the honest efficiency case for turbos over superchargers.