What is the formula for calculating pulley diameters and rates of revolution?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the mass distribution of components in a bronze casting and determining the diameter of a driven pulley based on the rates of revolution of two pulleys. It includes both theoretical and practical aspects of these calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Participants discuss the mass distribution of a bronze casting made of copper, tin, and antimony, with a total mass of 60 kg, and how to set up the equation to find the mass of each component based on their ratios.
  • One participant calculates the total parts in the bronze casting (12 parts) and suggests multiplying the ratio by 5 to find the mass of each component.
  • Another participant presents a method to find the diameter of a driven pulley based on the relationship between the driving and driven pulleys' rates of revolution, using the equation \(160 \cdot 220 = 450D\).
  • Several participants confirm the calculation of the driven pulley diameter as approximately 78 mm, using the derived equation.
  • Alternative approaches are proposed, including using the arc-length formula and reasoning about linear velocities of the pulleys, leading to similar equations for calculating the diameter.
  • Some participants express concern about the complexity of the formulas and inquire if simpler alternatives exist.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on a single formula for calculating pulley diameters, as participants explore multiple approaches and express varying levels of comfort with the complexity of the equations presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants rely on the assumption that there is no slipping between the pulleys and the belt, and they discuss the relationships between diameter, rate of revolution, and linear velocity without resolving all mathematical steps.

Eabzolid
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I got a couple of questions to ask. And if you can just tell me how you would solve these like how would you setup the equation:

1. A bronze casting is made up of six parts copper, five parts tin, and one part antimony. The casting has a mass of 60KG. Find the mass of each component in Kg.

2. A 220 mm diameter pulley turning at 160 r/min drives another pulley at 450 r/min. What is the diameter of the driven pulley (to the nearest millimetre)?

Thank you
 
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Eabzolid said:
I got a couple of questions to ask. And if you can just tell me how you would solve these like how would you setup the equation:

1. A bronze casting is made up of six parts copper, five parts tin, and one part antimony. The casting has a mass of 60KG. Find the mass of each component in Kg.

Thank you

If there are six parts copper, five parts tin and one part antimony, then how many parts are there in total? What proportion of the total is each ingredient?
 
Eabzolid said:
I got a couple of questions to ask. And if you can just tell me how you would solve these like how would you setup the equation:

1. A bronze casting is made up of six parts copper, five parts tin, and one part antimony. The casting has a mass of 60KG. Find the mass of each component in Kg.

If we add all the parts given in the ratio, we see there are 6 + 5 + 1 = 12 parts. We find 60/12 = 5, so we can multiply the given ratio 6:5:1 by 5 to equivalently state the ratio of copper to tin to antimony as what?

Eabzolid said:
2. A 220 mm diameter pulley turning at 160 r/min drives another pulley at 450 r/min. What is the diameter of the driven pulley (to the nearest millimetre)?

Thank you

In one minute, the driving pulley rotates 160 times, and so (assuming no slipping between this pulley and the belt) a point on the belt will move 160 times the circumference of the driving pulley. Given that the driven pulley rotates 450 times during this same minute, and the linear relationship between diameter and circumference, then we know 160 times the diameter of the driving pulley has to be the same as 450 times the diameter $D$ of the driven pulley:

$$160\cdot220=450D$$

So, solve for $D$, what do you find?
 
I put 160x220/450=78.22. Basically 78mm

Thanks a lot.

How would you approach a question or any questionn like that ??
 
Eabzolid said:
I put 160x220/450=78.22. Basically 78mm

Thanks a lot.

How would you approach a question or any questionn like that ??

I would approach it just like I posted, but another approach would be to use the arc-length formula:

$$s=r\theta$$

In terms of the diameter $D$, this would be:

$$s=\frac{D}{2}\theta$$

Since there are $2\pi$ radians per revolution, we could then state:

$$s=\frac{220}{2}\cdot2\pi\cdot160=\frac{D}{2}\cdot2\pi\cdot450$$

This reduces to:

$$160\cdot220=450D$$

which matches my previous approach. Solving for $D$, we find:

$$D=\frac{160\cdot220}{450}\approx78$$
 
Oh wow. That formula is a bit complex, isn't there a different formula that can be used?
 
Eabzolid said:
Oh wow. That formula is a bit complex, isn't there a different formula that can be used?

Well, you could reason the the linear velocity $v$ of two given points, one on the edge of the driving pulley, and one on the edge of the driven pulley, must be the same:

$$v=r_1\omega_1=r_2\omega_2\implies r_2=\frac{\omega_1}{\omega_2}r_1$$

where $r_i$ are the radii and $\omega_i$ are the angular velocities. Since the angular velocity varies directly as the rate of revolution $R_i$, and the constant of proportionality must be the same for similar geometries, we can then state:

$$r_2=\frac{R_1}{R_2}r_1$$

And, since the diameter varies directly as the radius (again with identical constants of proportionalities), we have:

$$D_2=\frac{R_1}{R_2}D_1$$

The basic idea here is that the rate of revolution of a pulley varies inversely as its diameter (for some fixed belt speed):

$$R=\frac{k}{D}$$

Since the constant of proportionality $k$ will be the same for both pulleys (similar shapes), then we may state:

$$k=R_1D_1=R_2D_2\implies D_2=\frac{R_1}{R_2}D_1$$
 

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