CAAR....bike.....wheel...thing

By: Amanda Smyth, Rhianna Grego , Chad Green(Rhianna's BFF) ......oh yea and Anthony Aument (Rhianna's BFF ... sometimes, unless he makes Rhianna mad) :P

=__Problem: __ Create a graph that shows the height above ground for the valve on a mountain bike tire as the tire spins across the ground. Assume that the tire of a mountain bike is on a 26" rim, i.e. the valve is 13 inches from the center of the wheel. Create an appropriate trigonometric model for the graph.=

Equation: y=13cos((1/13)x-pi)+13
 Assuming the valve starts at the bottom of the wheel, when the bike starts moving, this graph shows it height as the bike moves forward or backward. the period is the circumference of the wheel (26 pi), because as the wheel turns a full turn, the valve returns to its starting position. The range is 0_<_ x _<_ 26 because the diameter is 26", the valve cannot be higher that the wheels diameter.