When a car is moving, there are different parts of the wheel that have different speeds. The part of the wheel in contact with the road is not moving at all, while the center of the wheel is moving at the same speed as the car. The top of the wheel is actually moving forward at twice the speed of the car. This is because the top of the wheel needs to come around to the bottom in order to stay in contact with the road. When you calculate the speed at different parts of the wheel, you get zero at the bottom, the speed of the car in the middle, and twice the speed of the car at the top. This is the result of the geometry, math, and physics of an axled wheel on any moving vehicle.
How is energy different from matter? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down what energy is and where it comes from, ancient theories about sight, and how wheels keep us moving. Explore physics, thermodynamics, and more!
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Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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