Wheel Diameter and Speedometer Reading

Abstract

Most introductory physics students have seen vehicles with nonstandard wheel diameters; some may themselves drive “low-rider” cars or “big-wheel” pickup trucks. But how does changing wheel diameter affect speedometer readout for a given speed? Deriving the answer can be followed readily by students who have been introduced to rotation, and it makes a good illustration of how reasoning in physics can lead to a result that is useful outside the classroom.