A bicycle wheel of diameter 70 cm covered a distance of 350 cm in 2 seconds. How many radians per second did it turn?

Answer Details

To find the radians per second that the bicycle wheel turns, we need to find the angle in radians that the wheel turns in 1 second. The distance covered by the bicycle wheel in 1 second can be found by dividing the distance covered in 2 seconds by 2: \[\frac{350 \, \text{cm}}{2 \, \text{s}} = 175 \, \text{cm/s}\] To convert this to radians per second, we need to know the circumference of the wheel in centimeters. The circumference of the wheel is given by: \[\pi \times \text{diameter} = \pi \times 70 \, \text{cm} = 220 \pi \, \text{cm}\] So, in one revolution, the wheel covers a distance of 220π cm. The angle in radians that the wheel turns in 1 second can be found by dividing the distance covered in 1 second by the circumference of the wheel: \[\frac{175 \, \text{cm/s}}{220 \pi \, \text{cm/rev}} = \frac{5}{2\pi} \, \text{rev/s}\] To convert revolutions per second to radians per second, we multiply by 2π: \[\frac{5}{2\pi} \times 2\pi = 5 \, \text{rad/s}\] Therefore, the bicycle wheel turns at a rate of 5 radians per second. So the answer is (A) 5.