Page 26 - Discover Summer 2022

Gremmie’s
Gremmie’s

Pages
Pages
Edited by Gerald Muus

Here is last issue’s brain puzzle:
Wheels 1 and 2 have the same radius. How

fast will Wheel 2 rotate if Wheel 1 is driven?

A. As fast as Wheel 1.

B. Faster than Wheel 1.

C. Slower than Wheel 1.

D. Wheel 2 does not rotate.

ANSWER: Our winner is Joe Bechel!

Wheel 2 will rotate as fast as wheel 1. The various sized wheels in between will
rotate faster (wheels with a radius smaller than Wheel 1) or slower ( wheels with a
radius larger than wheel 1), but because Wheel 1 and Wheel 2 are the same radius

they will rotate at the same speed.

Another correct entry that is worthy of mention came from our friend Skip
Larrington, who is a puzzle guru. Here is Skip’s explanation of how it works:

Ignore the fact that these are wheels, and think of the outside of the wheels
(circumference) as a straight line. Since all the wheels are touching, if one rotates
3 inches on the outside edge, then the wheel it is touching (no matter what the
diameter of the wheel) will also rotate 3 inches on its outside edge. This same
principle applies to all the wheels, so every wheel will rotate 3 inches on its
outside edge. Since the diameters of wheels one and two are the same, then

their outside edges are the same length, so they will rotate at the same speed.

24 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SUMMER 2022