Small steel ball bearings are placed inside the wheel hubs of bicycles and skates. What main purpose do they…

Small steel ball bearings are placed inside the wheel hubs of bicycles and skates. What main purpose do they serve?
  1. They convert sliding friction into smaller rolling friction.
  2. They convert rolling friction into larger sliding friction.
  3. They increase static friction to stop wheels from spinning too fast.
  4. They generate magnetic repulsion to float the wheel axle.

Solution

Ball bearings replace sliding friction with rolling friction, which is significantly smaller, making motion smoother.

Asked in: Homi Bhabha Practice

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