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As you move outward from the center of a wheel, the distance to go around it (circumference of the circle) becomes larger. Since the wheel is a solid object, the outside must complete the same number of revolutions per minute as the the inside, at the center or axle (360 degrees, 2pi radians). Since it has a much longer distance to travel, the outside must move at a higher speed.

The same principle applies to spheres (3 dimensional circles): because the Earth is a single object rotating around its axis, the surface at the equator is moving at more than 1000 mph to the east, while the poles spin in place without moving.

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Q: Why does a wheel spin faster at its circumference than at its center?
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