Drawing Bicycle Tire FBD's
Use the following applet with the exercises on the page.
Suppose that you are an engineer working for a
company that manufactures bicycle tires. Your boss wants you to assist
the shipping manager in packing the tires into long, thin crates for
shipment. Your assignment is to determine all of the forces that will
develop between the tires and the walls of the box, for the box shown
below. (Click on the box to reveal the interior.)

As a good engineer, you know the first step in determining any forces
in a mechanics problem is to draw appropriate free body diagrams for
all objects of interest. The applet above is an idealized version of
your problem, treating the tires as solid cylinders. Use the applet to
fully analyze the system.
If you need further assistance consult the Free
Body Diagram concept page.
Copyright
1998
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. All Rights Reserved.