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.

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  1. Jeremy74

    Ferris wheel gravity balance

    I made a sample ‘test run’ with one, two, three and four weights of equal mass. Wheel number 1: one weight placed on the rim. Wheel number 2: two equal weights placed opposite to each other at 180 degrees angle, (‘diameter configuration’) Wheel number 3: three equal weights placed at 120 degree...
  2. A

    MHB Ferris Wheel Rotation: How Many Degrees Per Minute?

    Ferris wheel consists of an observation wheel with a diameter of 150 meters atop a boarding terminal, giving structure an overall height of 165 meters. Given that the Ferris wheel takes 18 minutes to complete one revolution, how many degrees will each capsule move per minute? create a table...
  3. H

    Question about a bicycle wheel going uphill

    I have a question about 19 and 22.19. I am not sure what difference having a large or smaller wheel would make when pedaling a bicycle. I would assume a large a larger radius turning would require more force. 22. The correct answer is c. I think this is because point A travels a large...
  4. bagasme

    B Derivation of Wheel Relationship Formulas

    Hello, Here in this thread I will derive formulas for relation between two wheels, either teethed (e.g. gears) or non-teethed. In wheel relationship, we have three cases: Two wheels at the same axle Two wheels intersected in parallel (meshed) Two wheels connected by a belt We will examine...
  5. A

    Automotive Motorcycle: Flywheel mass and rear wheel torque

    Hello, I made this account to ask this question that I’ve been loosing sleep over. My question is say you have 2 identical motorcycles the engine the exact same and everything the only difference is the mass of the flywheel one bikes engine has a flywheel twice the mass as the other will the...
  6. erlend

    Hydrodynamic drag of a rotating paddle wheel

    Hello, i have a problem that look's easy to solve but really is not. It involves a rotating paddle wheel submerged in water and i want to know the force exerted on the wheels and the torque required to rotate it. I have made a simple drawing to illustrate the problem below. I want to use the...
  7. A

    Opposing force of the axle when a torque is applied to a wheel?

    Okay let's say we have a wheel attached to a fixed axle, free to spin, ignore friction and we apply a force on the edge of the wheel. That force creates a torque, does the axle have an opposing force to keep the wheel/axle assembly from accelerating linearly? Ive learned on this forum that when...
  8. R

    How can I use the right hand rule to find torque in bicycle wheel rotation?

    I tried to use the right hand rule to find torque but I’m not sure to go from there.
  9. U

    B Good equation for calculating RPM of a wheel?

    Hello, I am a programmer and I would need an equation to determine the RPM of a wheel. First I select a point in the wheel. Then I measure the time it takes for the wheel to spin arround once. This would give me the results. What would be a good equation for this?
  10. B

    Mechanics of a front wheel on a bicycle

    I am working on a project where I am supposed to find some ways to get constraints on some of the components (rim, hub and spokes) to use these for parametrization. So far I have thought that the constraint for the rim is that it can't buckle from the pre tension of the spokes (here I am...
  11. T

    Questions about using an Inertia Wheel to apply a compressive linear force

    Summary: How to define dimensions of an inertia wheel Firstly, I have been working in aviation industry, making me to involve in the Physics a lot. For the last few weeks, There have been a problem to solve since the manfacturer had not wanted to help us by not sharing information. We have...
  12. L

    Wheel Rolling Motion: Understanding Mgsin(θ) vs. fs-max

    Halliday's book says the following about a wheel rolling down a ramp: "Note that the pull by the gravitational force causes the body to come down the ramp, but it is the frictional force that causes the body to rotate and thus roll. If you eliminate the friction (by, say, making the ramp slick...
  13. Fran

    Calculate the maximum force on a wheel passing over an obstacle?

    Homework Statement: I have to design a rigid wheel for a 4 wheel vehicle that will be able to traverse rough terrain. The wheel I have in mind is a cylinder with two disks with spokes at almost both edges. I don't know how thick the cylinder or how many spokes the disks should have so I...
  14. A

    Angular speed, acceleration, and angle of a Ferris wheel

    ω(10)=(1.3)∗(1.0−e^(−10/22) )= 0.475 rad/s 0.475 rad/s=0 +α(10second) α=0.0475 rad/s^2 ∫ω(t)=Θ =1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) | (t=10s, t=0) total angle by which the wheel rotates over this period of t=10 seconds = 2.55 rad Θ= 2(pi)(8m)= 1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) 0=1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) - 2(pi)(8m) t=34...
  15. R

    Rotation of a roll by a driving wheel

    The bigger circle is a hollow cylinder (steel) with a length of 0.6m and a diameter of 0.133m and a mass of 8kg. The 2 smaller circles are rubber wheels with a diameter of 0.080 and mass of 0.2kg. Both the roll and the wheels have ball bearings and are mounted on a shaft. On both the shafts of...
  16. danihel

    Why does a piston-powered wheel keep turning in one direction?

    Hi, First I'd like to apologize, for this question probably sounds devastatingly stupid to people on the forum. Why does the wheel powered by a typical locomotive steam engine rotate only in one direction? I don't even understand why doesn't it sometimes just rotate half-way around and then...
  17. P

    Wheel ground pressure vs wheel size

    I need to drive a tractor across and area of soft ground without leaving deep tracks. I tested the ground carrying capacity with car and concluded that 700kg is max load on a 265/70-17 wheel, with 2,2bar tire pressure. (That wheel is 265mm wide, 401mm outer radius, unloaded.) As the ground is...
  18. T

    B Calculating Stress on Car Motors with 4 Wheels

    If I were to have a theoretical car with 4 motors controlling the 4 wheels(each with a radius of 5 in and a width of 1 in) and the car was 100 pounds, how much stress would be exerted back on to each motor?
  19. Y

    I Physical model of the roulette wheel

    Hello, I am having trouble understanding the two friction force terms from the ball rolling on page 4 of this physical model: http://www.dewtronics.com/tutorials/roulette/documents/Roulette_Physik.pdf What is the reason for the cos\theta term ? I think the frame of reference is made up of the...
  20. A

    Maintain a constant velocity for a rotating wheel

    I want to make a small mechanical calculator with no electric parts, nothing too advanced but a few binary gates capable of some basic functions. All the examples I were able to find were amazing but were still dependent on electricity to drive the mechanism. One possibility is a spring but I...
  21. L

    Maximum Angle of Incline for four wheel drive

    I think it will be between 11 and 12 degrees but don't know how to re-arrange the equation or if I was even using the correct method
  22. S

    Speed of the outside of a wheel faster than the speed of light

    I'd like to know if anybody can tell me either; How large a wheel would have to be for the outer edge to travel faster than the speed of light if powered by a motor that's around now. We'll say the wheel is in outer space to eliminate drag and such
  23. A

    How to stop a steering wheel using an electric motor?

    Problem Statement: i have a steering wheel mounted on an electric motor, and i want to stop the driver from going beyond a certain angle. i can read the torque applied by the driver, and the steering wheel angular velocity as well. how can i stop the steering wheel, without sending it harshely...
  24. J

    Wet wheel and conservation of momentum

    A cyclist coasts along a road, he drives across a small puddle of water, after which the wheels leave wet lines on the road. Now we concentrate our attention to the linear momentum of the water on a wheel. It decreases. Momentum is conserved, so what got the momentum that the water had?
  25. S

    How Bicycle Wheel Rim weight changes forward acceleration?

    How much faster will a bicycle accelerate forward if both front and rear wheel rims are changed for lighter ones? Power input, size, hubs, spokes tyres, Frame etc all staying the same. I can give you any sizes and weights needed, let me know what is needed for this calculation and I’ll reply...
  26. S

    Automotive Mechanism to drive a wheel from an internal motor allowing suspension?

    I'm brainstorming how to make an electric motorbike, making as much use of the available space as possible to allow for as many batteries to be fitted as possible. Batteries aren't relevant right now; my focus is on the final drive at the back of the bike. To maximise space, I want to fit the...
  27. C

    MHB Singapore Ferris wheel with 30 minutes of revolution time

    The Singapore Flyer is a very tall Ferris wheel.It is 315 meters tall and has a diameter of 150 meters. Each revolution takes about 30 minutes. If you were allowed to ride for 3 hours, how far would you travel? How much of a mile or how many miles would you travel?
  28. C

    Automotive Front Wheel Drive or Rear Wheel Drive has higher maximum slip ratio?

    The graph is relationship between longitudinal force and slip ratio under the conditions of 0 longitudinal acceleration and flat road(0 angle of inclination). Which line represent FWD or RWD? Does FWD or RWD have higher maximum slip ratio?
  29. M

    MHB A wheel of fortune is divided into 10 parts, one of them brings the jackpot.

    Hey! :o A wheel of fortune is divided into $10$ equal sized parts, of which one of them brings the jackpot. A player wants to investigate the regularity of the wheel of fortune. He turns the wheel 20 times. Calculate the probability that he will get at least one main prize if it is a...
  30. M

    Calculate the radius of this rotating wheel

    Homework Statement Calculate radius of rotating wheel. Linear speed of point "a" (red dot) is 2.5 times faster than linear speed of point "b"(blue dot) that is 5cm closer to center of wheel. Right answer is 8.33cm. I drew a sketch without linear line. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a...
  31. J

    Torque on a DC motor spinning a wheel horizontally

    I need a 12v DC with appropriate torque. In my design, the axle of the motor would be pointed straight in the air and I want to affix a wheel to it and have the wheel spin flat, sort of like a pottery wheel sort of design. I know what the wheel is made of, its dimensions and approximate weight...
  32. P

    How does the position of a force affect a spinning wheel

    Homework Statement 1m diameter solid disc spinning at 10 rpms with a subsequent .5m diameter solid disc being driven by the 1m sokid disc. Homework Equations Not sure there is one for my particular situation. The Attempt at a Solution Just using the torque is equal to force times distance...
  33. J

    Torque of a rotating wheel on a static wheel

    Homework Statement A uniform cylindrical wheel of mass ##m_{1}## and radius ##R_{1}## rotates with angular velocity ##\omega_{1}##. It lies a certain distance (along the same axis) from a static wheel of radius ##R_{2}## and mass ##m_{2}##. The wheels are then pushed against each other with a...
  34. S

    Calculating the Ratio of Apparent Weight on a Ferris Wheel

    Homework Statement A Ferris wheel 26 m in diameter rotates once every 14 s. What is the ratio of a person's apparent weight at the top of the ride to her apparent weight at the bottom of the ride? Homework Equations [/B] FNT/FNB = mg - mv^2 / r / mg + mv^2/r The Attempt at a Solution...
  35. archaic

    Maxwell's wheel and the conservation of energy

    We experimented with the Maxwell's wheel today and at the end we were asked about why does this apparatus stop since there is conservation of energy. I did some research and apparently there is a type of friction called "rolling friction", wikipedia defines it as "the force resisting the motion...
  36. prashantakerkar

    Ferris wheel Business process reengineering

    Is it feasible to design and manufacture a Concentric Ferris wheel? Thanks & Regards, Prashant S Akerkar
  37. G

    Applying a force in a wheel bicycle

    Homework Statement We have a bicycle and lift the front wheel. And with the hand we apply a force of 10 N down and we turn the wheel. The wheel is 26 inches in diameter and weighs 1.5 kg. Find the angular acceleration, the torque of the net force and the angular velocity after a lap. Homework...
  38. C

    What force is preventing car wheel bolts from being removed?

    Let's say we want to change a wheel in a car. We want to remove bolts fastening the wheel using this tool: I have also drawn a diagram of the forces in operation: Now, from experience I can say that the point of rotation of the wrench will be the blue point. Now, trying to determine the...
  39. C

    I Spinning bicycle wheel in air and letting it go

    Let's say that we have a bicycle wheel with radius $R = 25 cm$ and mass $m = 1 kg$. We spin the wheel in air so, that the tread is moving at the speed of $v_o = 50 km / h$. Then, we let it roll on asphalt, given the coefficient of static friction: $f_s = 0.9$ and kinetic friction: $f_k = 0.7$...
  40. shintashi

    Friction of a Wheel on the Axle?

    So say I've got a wheel who's outer radius is 12" and the radius of the axle is 1.5", so the simple machine here is an 8 to 1 ratio. So I am wondering, since 1/2mv^2 is for kinetic energy, and the velocity here is 1/8th, does it mean the friction is 1/8th or 1/64th? does it get 1/8th hotter or...
  41. J

    What is the largest possible Rotating wheel space station?

    What is the largest possible Rotating wheel space station possible to be constructed with current materials? and what would be the population it would support. also formulas used for calculation.would be useful. Could constructing cylindrical space elevators support more population,
  42. M

    Find the torque for a vehicle wheel

    Homework Statement In order for a vehicle (wheel) of radius r [m] and mass m [kg] to move at speed v [m/s], horizontal force F [N] should be applied at its axis. Find torque τ [N⋅m], equal to that force that must be applied on the hub. Homework Equations torque τ = r × F The Attempt at a...
  43. Fizzics

    Automotive Connecting a drive wheel to a second wheel

    Hi I'm trying to connect two fly wheels together which are elevated on a bar and about 12 feet apart, the one wheel is driven by a motor and I would like the second wheel to be synchronised in rotation with it. Belts and/or chains are the obvious way forward but would it be difficult to connect...
  44. P

    Finding the torque needed to accelerate a wheel

    Homework Statement Object of fifty kg and a r= 0.025m. What's the torque to accelerate from 0 to 0.4 in 20s. Homework Equations Torque = Moment of inertia * angular acceleration T = I * α The Attempt at a Solution [/B] m = 50kg r = 0.25m α = (0.4) / 20 = 0.02 I = mr^2 = 50 * 0.25^2 =...
  45. T

    How Can I Motorize My DIY Prize Wheel?

    I've made myself a prize wheel consisting of the following parts: - Main wheel: Galvanized sheet metal plate (d=250 mm), with a fidget spinner glued on the back. Loosely attached to an M8 threaded axle. - Logo wheel: Galvanized sheet metal plate (d=90 mm), with a M8 nut glued on the back...
  46. T

    B Why do chains on tires provide more traction in the snow?

    Wouldn't the chain easily get caught on a rock or something? And how does metal provide more traction than rubber wheels?
  47. Poetria

    Square wheel and the speed of the point

    Homework Statement Consider a bumpy road in which each hump has the shape ##y=\cosh(a)-\cosh(x)## for ##-a\leq x \leq a## where ##y'(a)=-1## so ##a=arcsinh(1)## L=2 ##(x_p(t), y_p(t)) = (t, \cosh(a)-\cosh(t))## ##(x_q(t), y_q(t)) = (t, \cosh(a))## We place the square wheel onto the bumpy...
  48. Alfredo

    Pelton Wheel for Power Generation

    I am a simple Newbie, wanting to make power, using Pelton wheel say 45 psi water pressure , 3/8 to 1/2 nozzle...is there a way to determine the results or is there a better psi/nozzle combo? Generator can be 12/24/48 volts
  49. M

    MHB Angular Speed of Smaller Wheel

    Let r = radius See picture. If r = 6 cm, R = 10 cm, and the angular speed of the larger wheel is 100 rpm, determine the angular speed of the smaller wheel in radians per minute. Again, 1 revolution = 2 pi radians. I need to use w = θ/t. So, θ = 100 rpm • 2 pi radians. θ = 200 pi...
  50. M

    MHB Angular Speed of Smaller Wheel

    I decided to change the radius. Let r = radius If r = 10 cm, R = 50 cm, and the angular speed of the larger wheel is 100 rpm, determine the angular speed of the smaller wheel in radians per minute. What are the steps to solve this question?
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