Question

A wheel turns freely on an axel at the center. Given the details noted in figure 7.21, which one of the forces shown in the figure will provide the largest positive torque on the wheel?

Answer 1

The force that applies the largest positive torque on a wheel is the force applied perpendicularly to the leverage arm at the furthest point from the axle or pivot point, according to the right-hand rule when the wheel rotates counterclockwise.

Step-by-step explanation:

To answer the question of which force will provide the largest positive torque on a wheel that turns freely on an axle at the center, we should look at the factors that affect the magnitude of torque. According to the details mentioned, the torque will be greatest when the force is applied perpendicular to the radius of the wheel (lever arm) since the torque is τ = r × F × sin(θ), where r is the radius, F is the force applied, and θ is the angle between the force and the lever arm. The maximum torque occurs when θ is 90° because sin(90°) = 1. Therefore, out of the forces A-E, the force that is applied perpendicularly to the lever arm at the furthest point from the pivot will produce the largest positive torque. Additionally, since torque is a vector, its direction can be determined by using the right-hand rule, which indicates that the direction of the positive torque is towards positive z-axis or out of the page when the disk rotates counterclockwise.