OFF TOPIC: Weight distribution

Can anyone please answer this.

You have a 1.2 metres x 1.2 metres object that weighs, say 200 kgs.

You now attach a wheel & tyre to each corner of the object.

The question I need an answer to is...

Does each tyre still have 200 kgs weight on it, OR does each only have 50 kgs weight on it?

Thank you

Hi Andy, I would say that the weight is distributed equally over each wheel. The weight won't change. So each wheel would be still carrying 200kg.
wombat

200 kgs divided by four wheels equals fifty kg per wheel.

Hi Andy
200kg evenly distributed over the area of the object would mean 50kg evenly distributed to each wheel.
It becomes more complex if the weight is not evenly distributed in which case some wheels may carry more and others less.
For example, a caravan with all wheels and jockey wheel on a weighbridge weighs 2000kg.
Connect the van to a car and reweigh the van (wheels only) and it will be lighter (e.g. 1800kg) indicating some of the weight (200kg) is now being taken by the car.
Hope this helps.
Trevor

I would say that each wheel shares the weight, so 50 kg.
eg A 6x4 trailer had two wheels and a 12x6 car trailer has 4 wheels for the weight.
It would also be governed by the axle carrying capacity and the tyre rating as well.
Just my thoughts

50kg per wheel with the load distributed equally.
Uneven distribution of weight means that each wheel will be carrying a different load.
It is all to do with the centre of gravity of the trailer as a whole and the centre of gravity through each wheel.

Each wheel added on shares the total weight. In other words & at a flat perfect level (all things being equal or as Adrian says distributed equally), each wheel caries an even portion of the total weight. In this case 4 wheels carrying a total weight of 200kg are divided by the total overall weight. 200kg  divided by 4 = 50kg per wheel.  Picture it like this, load one person with 200kg & he would most likely buckle under the weight. Load 2 people with 200kg of weight & now they somehow are struggling to hold up the weight, but are holding it up because they're sharing the load. Now you put on 4 people to carry the same weight of 200kg & you notice that not only are they holding up the 200kg weight, but carting/walking away with it?
Hence the saying many hands (same as many wheels under weight) make light work of the job.

Cheers Kon.

Thanks for all your replies, appreciate it. Seems the consensus is 50 kgs on each wheel. I thought this might be the case but was definitely not sure.

These are the objects in question if you were wondering. These concrete blocks are in the community garden at home & are going to be moved to the back. How did I lift those two you ask? HiLift jack.

Thinking of making a trolley to put under & move them.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f68/20/03/53/82/img_1910.jpg

G'day andy-pippin

It's the exact same reason big trucks and semitrailers have many wheels, more wheels = more weight they can carry, otherwise they would only need ONE WHEEL, and that would look very awkward

The weights & measures (RTA) blokes don't cart a full size weighbridge with them when weighing trucks out along the road, they just weigh separate wheels and add them up to get a total.

cheers dave

You may also consider that if a wheel goes over a bump, there will be more weight on that wheel as it is on the bump. Same if a wheel goes into a hole there will be less weight on it while it is at the bottom of the hole. This will only be the case on a multi axle trailer. The weight will be redistributed to the other wheels.

Cheers

Doug

Wombat wrote:Hi Andy, I would say that the weight is distributed equally over each wheel. The weight won't change. So each wheel would be still carrying 200kg.
wombat

Not true mate,that is why they weigh race cars to set up the weight distribution,it’s spread over the four wheels