A wheel of diameter 29.2 cm turns through an angle of 3.5 rad. Find the distance a point travels on the surface of the wheel. Round your answer to three significant digits.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distance a point on the surface of the wheel travels is given by the formula $s = r\theta$, where $s$ is the arc length (distance traveled), $r$ is the radius of the wheel, and $\theta$ is the angle in radians. The radius $r$ is half the diameter, so $r = 29.2 \, \text{cm} / 2 = 14.6 \, \text{cm}$. Substituting $r = 14.6 \, \text{cm}$ and $\theta = 3.5$ radians into the formula gives $s = 14.6 \times 3.5 = 51.1 \, \text{cm}$.

A Wheel of Diameter 29