What is Wheel: Definition and 863 Discussions

In its primitive form, a wheel is a circular block of a hard and durable material at whose center has been bored a hole through which is placed an axle bearing about which the wheel rotates when torque is applied to the wheel about its axis. The wheel and axle assembly can be considered one of the six simple machines. When placed vertically under a load-bearing platform or case, the wheel turning on the horizontal axle makes it possible to transport heavy loads. This arrangement is the main topic of this article, but there are many other applications of a wheel addressed in the corresponding articles: when placed horizontally, the wheel turning on its vertical axle provides the spinning motion used to shape materials (e.g. a potter's wheel); when mounted on a column connected to a rudder or to the steering mechanism of a wheeled vehicle, it can be used to control the direction of a vessel or vehicle (e.g. a ship's wheel or steering wheel); when connected to a crank or engine, a wheel can store, release, or transmit energy (e.g. the flywheel). A wheel and axle with force applied to create torque at one radius can translate this to a different force at a different radius, also with a different linear velocity.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. Phrak

    Rather than reinvent the wheel

    I'm tasked with designing a 12 VDC (from lead storage batteries) to 24 VAC (peak to peak, sinusoidal, and unregulated) 300 Watt converter. This will be a consumer quality product--something to do with solar panels. Rather than completely reinvent the wheel, I thought I could find something...
  2. S

    Solving Rotational Motion of Wheel with 3.21 kg Block

    Homework Statement A wheel of radius 0.358 m is mounted on a frictionless horizontal axis. The rotational inertia of the wheel about the axis is 0.0421 kg·m2. A massless cord wrapped around the wheel is attached to a 3.21 kg block that slides on a horizontal frictionless surface. If a...
  3. M

    Understanding Wheel Rotation Force and Its Relationship to Wheel Characteristics

    hello can you tell analyze please the force that is used to round the wheel of a car? I mean, how is this force called? is it torque? also, how does wheel characteristics affect the needed force to maintain a specific rotation speed? eg wheel weight, dimensions (both diameter and...
  4. N

    Does a 29 Mountain Bike Wheel Really Offer Less Rolling Resistance?

    Could someone aid my understanding of the factors involved here? The question that has been rolling (pun intended) around my mind is in regards to a trend in mountain biking. The new thing in MTBing is the 29" wheel. Standard wheel diameter is 26". Advocates of the 29er say there is less...
  5. T

    Calculate Moment of Inertia of Disc w/ Added Mass: 40 to 30 revs/min

    Homework Statement find the moment of inertia of a disc of diameter D that spins freely at 40 revs/min, then reduces to 30 revs/min when a mass m is added to the disc at x from the centre. I know m, x, both angular speeds, and the diameter of the disc. Homework Equations L = Iw I =...
  6. K

    Rotating Wheel - Torque and Moment of Inertia

    Homework Statement A wheel free to rotate about its axis that is not frictionless is initially at rest. A constant external torque of 50N_m is applied to the wheel for 20s, giving the wheel an angular velocity of 600rev/min. The external torque is the removed and the wheel comes to rest 120s...
  7. M

    Work required to accelerate a horizontal wheel

    Homework Statement How much work is required to accelerate a horizontal wheel of mass 1150 kg from rest to a rotational rate of 1 revolution in 5 seconds Homework Equations I = 1/2(m)(r^2) Rotational KE (ie work) = KE2 - KE1 Rotational KE = (1/2)(I)(Omega Squared) The Attempt at a...
  8. K

    Wheel Barrow Torque Problem

    Homework Statement If the load placed in the wheel barrow weighs 20 N and is 40 cm from the wheel, what force must be applied to the handles at a distance of 120 cm in order to balance the load? Homework Equations Tau = F r Sin(theta) The Attempt at a Solution Im really just...
  9. K

    How much can be lifted with a wheel barrow?

    Homework Statement suppose that you can lift no more than 450N unaided. a) how much can you lift using a 2 m long wheel barrow? assume that the wheelbarrow weighs 80N and that its center of gravity is .6m from the wheel. in addition, assume hat the load carried in the wheelbarrow is also...
  10. M

    Wheel rotation, constant acceleration

    Homework Statement A wheel rotates with a constant angular acceleration of 3.71 rad/s2. what angle does the wheel rotate between t = 2.00 s and t = 6.25 s? Homework Equations \omega=\omega_{i}+\frac{1}{2}\alpha t^{2} Δθ = θf - θi = ωit + αt2 The Attempt at a Solution I found...
  11. L

    Stopping distance: Locked wheel skidding & rolling tyres

    Why is it that a vehicle travels further when skidding with locked wheels than when decelerating with rolling, braked wheels in conventional, non-abs vehicles.
  12. F

    Ferris Wheel Homework: Centripetal Acceleration & Forces

    Homework Statement The figure below shows a Ferris wheel that rotates three times each minute. It carries each car around a circle of diameter 19.0 m. a) What is the centripetal acceleration of a rider? Answer in m/s^2 (b) What force does the seat exert on a 40.0 kg rider at the...
  13. M

    Spinning tornado wheel - circumference and radius

    Spinning "tornado" wheel - circumference and radius Another quote from my current lecture "elgant universe": Page 63, 3rd Paragraph This doesn't make much sense to me. While I can comprehend that the ruler must be shortened as it's layed out tagentially to the circumference, as it's moving...
  14. G

    Force of friction between wheel and axle

    I've been working on a simulation of a Lorenz Waterwheel, and friction was killing it - I couldn't use realistic coefficients of friction. The problem, I discovered was that I was not using the correct equation to calculate the force of friction that counters the wheel's rotation. Having...
  15. J

    Torque generated by the motor of ferris wheel?

    Homework Statement An electric motor can accelerate a Ferris wheel of moment of inertia 11300 kg · m2 from rest to 9.6 rev/min in 14.6 s. When the mo- tor is turned off, friction causes the wheel to slow down from 9.6 rev/min to 8.37 rev/min in 7.23 s. Determine the torque generated by the mo-...
  16. M

    How much ahead the front axle does the wheel jet the water that it pick

    Homework Statement [/B A bicycle with a speed 12 km/h is driving along a leveled wet road. How much ahead the front axle (see picture) does the wheel jet the water that it picks up from the floor?The radius of the wheel is r = 35 cm. Let’s suppose that the drops of water that are separating...
  17. M

    How much ahead the front axle does the wheel jet the water that it pick

    Homework Statement A bicycle with a speed 12 km/h is driving along a leveled wet road. How much ahead the front axle (see picture) does the wheel jet the water that it picks up from the floor?The radius of the wheel is r = 35 cm. Let’s suppose that the drops of water that are separating from...
  18. K

    Calculating Mass & Kinetic Energy of Flywheels

    1. I do not even know where to start here, any help is much appreciated A flywheel (a) with a mass of 100 kg and radius of gyration 1200mm rotates at 150 revs min^-1 (clockwise). The kinetic energy of this flywheel is to be reduced by 20% by impacting it with a second flywheel (b) rotating at...
  19. U

    What is the speed of the gum as seen by the center of the wheel?

    4. A train is moving with a speed of 31.4 meters second . One of the major wheels of the locomotive has a radius of 0.5 meters. (a) How many revolutions does the wheel make in a second if the center of the wheel advances by 31.4 meters? (b) A piece of chewing gum, weighing 20.0 grams, is...
  20. M

    Caculating velocity on a different points on a rim of a wheel- AGAIN

    Homework Statement Motorcycle is accelerating from the rest with a constant acceleration a = 2 m/s². We are observing its front wheel (see picture) after a time t = 10 s. This wheel is not slipping while accelerating. How much are velocities of points A, B, and C on rim of wheel? How much...
  21. M

    Caculating velocity on a different points on a rim of a wheel

    Homework Statement Motorcycle is accelerating from the rest with a constant acceleration a = 2 m/s². We are observing its front wheel (see picture) after a time t = 10 s. This wheel is not slipping while accelerating. How much are velocities of points A, B, and C on rim of wheel? How much...
  22. W

    Angular Acceleration Of A Wheel

    Homework Statement A wheel rotating with a constant angular acceleration turns through 22 revolutions during a 9 s time interval. Its angular velocity at the end of this interval is 15 rad/s. What is the angular acceleration of the wheel? Note that the initial angular velocity is not...
  23. P

    Calculating driving force from wheel rpm, wheel radius and engine power

    I have spent a while trying to work out a simple equation to give me the driving force of the engine in a car using the inputs: Power, wheel radius and rpm but when I put in real numbers from a production car, I get low values of 2197N. The equation I have derived is: Driving force =...
  24. F

    Ferris Wheel & Ice Cream (circular and projectile motion?)

    Homework Statement A Ferris wheel with radius R turns with a constant angular velocity \omega. A child rides the Ferris wheel with a fresh ice cream cone. When the child reaches an angular position \varthetas [see diagram below], she is so distracted that she tips the cone and drops the nice...
  25. F

    Acceleration of clay on a potter's wheel

    What is the magnitude of the acceleration of a speck of clay on the edge of a potter's wheel turning at 63 revolutions per minute if the wheel's diameter is 34 cm? Just give 2 sig figs.I understand that to find VELOCITY ofo the speck of clay, I'd need to find the circumference of the circle...
  26. S

    Weightlessness on a Ferris Wheel

    Homework Statement How many revolutions per minute would a 15.1 m diameter Ferris wheel need to make for the passengers to feel "weightless" at the topmost point of the trip? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I assume this problem has something to do with finding...
  27. J

    Ferris Wheel acceleration Problem

    Homework Statement While at the county fair, you decide to ride the Ferris wheel. Having eaten too many candy apples and elephant ears, you find the motion somewhat unpleasant. To take your mind off your stomach, you wonder about the motion of the ride. You estimate the radius of the big...
  28. R

    Circular Motion: On a Ferris Wheel

    On a Ferris Wheel A chemistry student with a mass of 75 kg is riding a steadily moving Ferris wheel. When she is at the top of the Ferris wheel, the normal force from the seat on to her body has a magnitude of 550 N. a) What is the magnitude of the normal force on her body when she is at...
  29. V

    Transfer of torque - wheel to wheel contact

    Hi all, I am trying to calculate the the torque of a system which uses various size wheels to transfer power. Explained: A motor, of 100Nm torque, 40000 rpm, has a shaft of 7mm diameter in contact with a wheel 20mm in diameter. This wheel is in contact with a 15mm wheel. I need to...
  30. B

    Calculating Normal Force on a Student Riding a Ferris Wheel

    Homework Statement A chemistry student with a mass of 75 kg is riding a steadily moving Ferris wheel. When she is at the top of the Ferris wheel, the normal force from the seat on to her body has a magnitude of 567 N. What is the magnitude of the normal force on her body when she is at...
  31. N

    Calculating Angle of Wheel Rotation for Rolling Bicycle

    Homework Statement A bicycle is rolling down a circular hill that has a radius of 9.00m. The angular displacement of the bike is 0.960rad. The radius of each wheel is 0.400m. What is the angle (in radians) through which each tyre rotates ? Notes on question : - wheels are in rolling...
  32. P

    Trajectory of Mud Glob Thrown From Wheel: Solving the Mystery

    Homework Statement A wheel of radius r is rolling along a muddy road with speed v, and particles of mud are being continuously thrown off from all points of the wheel. ignoring air resistance, what is the trajectory of a mud glob thrown off the wheel when it is at angle (theta) to the...
  33. D

    Sliding Friction on a Wheel: How Does Static Friction Prevent Motion?

    How is a sliding wheel is opposed by static friction? Static friction acts only when the body is about to move. My point is if the wheel is has a linear velocity and angular velocity than kinetic friction should act on the body rather than static friction.
  34. N

    Calculating torque/hp losses from wheel choices

    Hi guys, I am a complete physics dunce so go easy on me, I can wrap my mind around the basic concepts but I need help with this particular proble,. What I'm trying to do is figure out how much torque is lost or gained by changing wheels on a car. I assume we need to ignore the front two...
  35. B

    Improving Torque in a Two-Wheel Non-Balancing Robot: Tips and Solutions

    Hello! Me and my team are working on a two-wheel simple robot having two motors and 12v 1.5amps supply for a small intra-college robo-race. The wheels are 10cm diam. and we have a cylindrical body between the two wheels with 8cm diam. The setup is all wired, nothing wireless( with the remote...
  36. B

    Paddle Wheel Torque Calculations

    I'm designing a paddle wheel drive house boat and need to do some calculations to see if the parts I have on hand can do the job. Paddle wheels will be 6' dia. with 8 paddles by 3' long . Paddles will be 3' long by 10" and will have the tops of the paddles submerged by 2" to 3" when the...
  37. S

    Help Me Calculate Wheel Angular Velocity For Simulating a Car

    Hi all! I've got a problem which I can't solve for almost a week :-/ It's about simulating a car with some physics added. The things is that I cannot calculate the wheel angular velocity right. Let's assume that a car has no velocity and is using 7300 N (1st gear, 1000 rpm) of force on the...
  38. C

    How Does a Ferris Wheel Ride Reveal Physics Principles?

    Homework Statement A woman rides on a Ferris wheel of radius 16m that maintains the same speed throughout its motion. To better understand physics, she takes along a digital bathroom scale (with memory) and sits on it. When she gets off the ride, she uploads the scale readings to a computer...
  39. S

    Angular velocity of a connecting rod on a rotating wheel.

    Homework Statement A rotating wheel with radius 40 cm and a connecting rod PQ with length 1.2m. The pin P slides back and fourth along the x-axis as the wheel rotates counterclockwise at a rate of 360 revolutions per minute. Find the angular velocity of the connecting rod, da/dt, in radians per...
  40. Q

    Angular Momentum of a Ferris Wheel

    Homework Statement [Let a Ferris wheel exist.] The wheel carries 36 cars, each holding as many as 60 passengers of 70kg mass, around a circle of radius R = 38m. The mass of each car is about 1.1e4 kg. The mass of the wheel's structure as about 6.0e5kg, which was mostly in the circular grid...
  41. B

    What Time Does the Wheel Come to a Stop?

    At t=0 at grinding wheel has an angular velocity of 24.0 rad/s. It has a constant angular acceleration of 30.0 rad/ s2 until circuit breaker trips at t=2.00s. From then on, it turns through 432 rad as ut coasts to a stop at constant angular acceleration. a) through what total angle did the wheel...
  42. B

    Solving for Mass in a Spring Scale Experiment

    Hello: If a person rides on a wheel that has the same speed throughout rotation. Does this mean that magnitude of angular velocity is same throughout rotation? I think if the wheel has the same speed, then the centripetal force is equivalent throughout rotation. Now, the person decides...
  43. W

    Where Does a Stuffed Animal Land When Dropped from a Ferris Wheel?

    Fairgoers ride a Ferris wheel with a radius of 5.00 m . The wheel completes one revolution every 31.0 s If a rider accidentally drops a stuffed animal at the top of the wheel, where does it land relative to the base of the ride? (Note: The bottom of the wheel is 1.75 m above the ground.)...
  44. P

    Given initial angular velocity of wheel, find revolutions to rest

    SOLVED Given initial angular velocity of wheel, find revolutions to rest Homework Statement As a result of friction, the angular speed of a wheel changes with time according to d \vartheta / dt = 4.1e-.088335775t where the initial angular velocity is 4.1 rad/s. Find the number of...
  45. S

    Answer: "Airflow Around a Wheel: Why Do Hub Caps Bulge Out?

    Hi all, Just Wondering quickly, do the static hub caps on a Formula one car(say Brawn GP) bulge out slightly or are the flat and flush with the wheel? If they do bulge out, why does this produce less drag? Thanks Sean
  46. C

    Velocity of mass connected to a fixed rotating wheel with a massless string

    Homework Statement A mass of 0.8kg is attached to a massless string that passes over a pulley and is wrapped around a wheel of radius 0.5m, and rotational inertia 1.0 kgm^2. The wheel can rotate freely. The mass is initially held stationary at a height of 1.5m above the ground. When the mass...
  47. I

    Calculating the Speed of a Spinning Wheel: A Guide for Engineering Students

    How would I calculate the speed of a spinning wheel (using forces in Newton and anything else required)?
  48. N

    [High school physics] Wheel touching a kerb. What are the forces on the wheel?

    [Solved] Wheel touching a kerb just about to lift. What are the forces on the wheel? Homework Statement In order to lift a wheel over a kerb of height h, a minimum force F is be applied at the axle. The radius of the wheel is R. Draw all the forces on the wheel then find its weight...
  49. P

    How long does the wheel slip before it begins to roll without slipping?

    Homework Statement A wheel with rotational inertia I = 0.5MR^2 about its central axle is set spinning with initial angular speed w and is then lowered onto the ground so that it touches the ground with no horizontal speed. Initially it slips, but then begins to move forward and eventually...
  50. T

    Rotational Kinetic Energy of a grinding wheel

    Homework Statement A grinding wheel in the shape of a solid disk is 0.240m in diameter and has a mass of 2.50kg. The wheel is rotating at 2050rpm about an axis through its center. What is its kinetic energy? How far would it have to drop in free fall to acquire the same amount of kinetic...
Back
Top