Calculating minimum distance using the below example

• The minimum distance can be calculated as follows:

• The circumference of the dowel axle is π x the diameter of the axel.  Example π x 0.25 = 0.785".

• The length of the string is about 25".

• Therefore the string can be wrapped around the dowel 25/0.785 = About 31.8 times.

• The circumference of the wheel is π x the diameter of the wheel. Example π x 4.75 = 14.92"

• So the minimum distance travelled will be the number of times the string can wrap around the dowel multiplied by the circumference of the wheels, which is 31.8 x 14.92 = 474.456", or about 39.5ft!

• In addition to the minimum distance, the car will continue to travel due to momentum. This extra distance depends on several factors such as the car weight, the surface it's driving on, and the amount of friction at the axles, which are too varied to reliably calculate here.