RC Vehicles Word of the Day: Differential

You know how in some track and field events runners don't line up in a straight line next to each other? Instead they are staggered with the person on the outside lane appearing to get quite a head start on those running on inside lanes. The reason is that the track is actually longer on the outside lane so if everyone started together but had to stay in their own lanes, the runners on the outside are at a disadvantage and would have to run faster just to stay even. The staggered start evens out the lane length. In a way it's kind of like a differential on an RC. When going around a curve, the wheels on the outside of the curve have to travel further. The differential causes them to spin at a different speed than the wheels on the inside of the curve so the whole RC finishes the turn more smoothly and all at the same time.  Not every RC has a differential. Some use other methods. But for those that have 'em, they come in variations of the open, adjustable, and ball types.