When a car is driving forward on a horizontal road what is the direction of the frictional force on the tires??

The answer is forward on all tires, but how is this correct?

I guess we have four wheel drive.

The tires are pushing back on the road. (at least the tires that are driving the car forward)

Newron's Third Law - reaction equal and opposite to action

When a car is driving forward on a horizontal road, the direction of the frictional force on the tires is indeed forward on all tires. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but it can be understood by considering the nature of friction.

Friction is a force that opposes relative motion between two surfaces in contact. In this case, the two surfaces in contact are the tires of the car and the road. When the car is moving forward, the tires exert a backward force on the road, trying to push it backward (as per Newton's third law of motion). In response to this force, the road exerts an equal and opposite force on the tires, which is the frictional force. The frictional force acts in the opposite direction of the tires' motion, so it is directed forward.

To further visualize this scenario, imagine you are standing at the side of a road while a car drives past you. You might observe that the tires appear to be rotating forward. However, it's essential to remember that the tires' rotation is occurring due to the applied force from the car's engine and the friction between the tires and the road.

Overall, the forward direction of the frictional force on the tires helps maintain the forward motion of the car by providing the necessary grip and traction between the tires and the road.