A wheel is spinning on an axle. The linear velocity of a point on the rim is simply the product of the radius times the rotational velocity, as long as the rotational velocity is measured in units of
A) deg/s.
B) rev/min.
C) rad/s.
D) rev/s.
E) deg/min.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Linear velocity is defined as the distance traveled per unit time. In the case of a wheel spinning on an axle, a point on the rim travels in a circle with a certain radius, which is the distance from the axle to the point on the rim. The distance traveled in one revolution is the circumference of the circle, which is 2πr. Therefore, the linear velocity is given by the product of the radius and the rotational velocity, which is defined as the angle turned per unit time. The unit of angle measurement is radians, so the rotational velocity should be measured in radians per second (rad/s).

A Wheel Is Spinning on an Axle