Odometer: How It Works & Physics Behind It

[haleh]

How odometer works ??

I get a problem ,my university professor for physics 1 ask me to search about work of odometer in physical view ,I mean he doesn't want to describe the mechanical or electronic odometers !he wants me to write physical formulas and measure the distance which cars travel the same as what odometer does !and it should be at least 4 page . I some how search and I understand that electronic or mechanical ones measure the rpm of wheels and then convert this to kilometer or mile and this can be like this : number of revolution * radius of wheel * 2 * pi
but I some how confused that rpm is not number of revolution ,Is there any timer in cars? or maybe I am completely wrong and my professor wants other things so what do you suggest me to search about ?and is there any link ,book you can suggest me ? any idea ??

 

[SteamKing]

Are you sure that a mechanical odometer measures rpm? Think about how it is constructed.

 

[haleh]

Are you sure that a mechanical odometer measures rpm? Think about how it is constructed.

Hi SteamKing
you are right but my problem is that none of these relate to physics and my professor insists that he just wants physics formulas or s.th like this!and it should be at least 3 or 4 pages !what do you think he wants ?I am really confused ,these are so simple !

 

[haruspex]

Before 1900, odometers worked by counting revolutions. For those it was a simple matter of gearing down enough to be counting in the desired units.
Nowadays, the rate of rotation is measured and this drives both the odometer and the speedometer. For that, you need to be integrating the rate over time.
But to make that go 4 pages you'll have to use a large font.

 

[Nickie]

Hello,

I understand your confusion and frustration with this assignment. It seems like your professor wants you to approach the concept of an odometer from a purely physical perspective, rather than focusing on the mechanics or electronics of it. This means looking at the fundamental principles and laws of physics that govern how an odometer works.

Firstly, let's define what an odometer is. It is a device used to measure the distance traveled by a vehicle. In order to do this accurately, it needs to measure the rotations of the wheels and convert this into a distance measurement. This is where the physical principles come into play.

One of the main physical principles involved in the function of an odometer is rotational motion. This is the motion of an object around an axis, such as the rotation of a wheel. In order to calculate the distance traveled by a wheel, we need to know its rotational speed, or how many times it has rotated in a given time period. This is where the concept of revolutions per minute (RPM) comes into play. RPM is a measure of rotational speed and is defined as the number of complete rotations per minute.

Now, let's look at the formula you mentioned: number of revolution * radius of wheel * 2 * pi. This is actually the correct formula for calculating the distance traveled by a wheel. The number of revolutions is the number of times the wheel has rotated, the radius of the wheel is the distance from the center of the wheel to its edge, and 2 * pi is a constant that converts the circumference of a circle to its diameter. So, by multiplying these three values, we can calculate the distance traveled by a wheel in one rotation.

However, as you mentioned, RPM is not the number of revolutions. Rather, it is a measure of rotational speed. So, in order to calculate the number of revolutions, we need to know the time period over which the wheel has rotated. This is where time comes into play. In order to accurately measure the distance traveled by a wheel, the odometer needs to know the time period over which the wheel has rotated. This is usually done using a timer or clock mechanism in the car.

In conclusion, the physics behind an odometer involves principles of rotational motion, such as RPM and time, to accurately measure the distance traveled by a vehicle. I would suggest further research on these principles and how they are applied in the function of an odometer. Some helpful resources could be