A luggage cart at an airport is equipped with identical solid wheels of unknown radius
PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Torque and Rotational Dynamics · Torque and Rotational Dynamics
Problem
A luggage cart at an airport is equipped with identical solid wheels of unknown radius. While the cart is pulled in a straight line across the floor, one wheel is observed to complete exactly four full revolutions while the cart advances 6.28 m along the floor. Assume the wheel rolls without slipping and that the floor is level.
(a) Calculate the radius of one wheel, expressing your answer in centimeters with an appropriate number of significant figures.
(b) While the cart is later pulled at a steady rate, the wheel’s angular speed is measured to be 3.0 rad s⁻¹. Determine the cart’s linear speed relative to the floor.