A pair of bicycle tracks used in this activity courtesy of G'Day Math https://gdaymath.com/lessons/gmp/1-9-which-way-did-the-bicycle-go-and-other-bicycle-ponderings/
A Pair of Bicycle Tracks and the Direction of the Bicyclist
Concerning the above diagram, which curve represents the path of the back wheel? Dark Blue or the Black Curve?
1) The Dark Blue Curve or The Black Curve
Concerning the above figure, which curve represents the path of the front wheel? Dark Blue or the Black Curve?
2) The Dark Blue Curve or the Black Curve
Concerning the black and blue curves from above diagram.
3) What type of function would be a good fit for the black curve? Pick all that apply
Concerning the above pair of bicycle tracks.
4) What do you notice when you move point A left to right, in particular the distance from points to the bicycles' path of the front wheel? AB and AC line segments
Line segment AB and AC are lines segments that are tangent at point A on the black curve.
5) What does line segment AB or AC represents concerning a bicycle?
Concerning the activity below: The black curve represents the original path of the back wheel and the blue curve represents the path of the front wheel.
Again, slowly move point back and forth. Pay attention to the distance from point A to point C.
Concerning the above activity: What do you notice and what do you wonder?
6) Is the bright green path an adequate description of the original front wheel's path (dark blue curve)? What do you notice and what do you notice?
Concerning the above activity:
Move point A slowly in both directions. The vector AB represents the bicycle moving from right to left.
What do you notice?
7) Does the path of the red curve match the actual front wheel's path? Explain your reasoning.
The bicycle tracks
Which Direction did the bicyclist ride?
8 )Which Direction did the bicyclist ride?[br][br][br][br]
Which direction did the bicyclist ride?
9)[br][br]Explain your reasoning for your decision in the direction of the bicyclist.