Question

A bicyclist of mass 64.0 kg puts all his weight on each downward-moving pedal as he pedals up a steep road. Take the diameter of the circle in which the pedals rotate to be 0.27 m, and determine the magnitude of the maximum torque he exerts in the process.

Answer 1

T = 84.67 N.m

Step-by-step explanation:

Torque can be defined as:

`T= F*r`

Where F is the acting force and r is the length of arm between the acting point and the pivot point.

In this case, maximum torque will occur when the length of arm is equal to the length of one pedal, that is, half of the diameter of the circle in which the pedals rotate.

r = 0.135 m

As for the force, it is mass of the bicyclist times the gravitational pull:

`F=mg\\F= 64 *9.8\\F=627.2 N`

Therefore, maximum torque is given by:

`T=0.135*627.2\\T=84.67 N.m`