11 years late but still, if anyone needs this in the future.
Assuming you already know about transformations from parent function:
f(x) = cosx
We have to figure out the max and min height of the mark.
Since the mark is 10cm away from the edge of the tire, its min height is 10cm above ground
Since the tire is actually 80cm high (40 is the radius, 80 is the diameter), the max height for the mark is 70 (10cm away from 80)
With the information, we know that the amplitude of the wave function is at 30cm, since it's half the distance between the max and min.
We know that the axis (equilibrium) is at 40cm, since it's equidistance from max and min.
Since the mark starts at minimum, the function is reflected in the x-axis (since cosx starts at max) making the "30" in the equation a negative.
To find the period, which is the length it takes for the tire to go back to the exact same position, we need to find the circumference. The circumference of tire is 2π*40, which is 80π. The circumference is in fact the length the tire will travel after one revolution.
Imagine if the tire is filled with paint around it, once the tire rolls around exactly one loop, its circumference smears the paint on the ground. The length of that paint is the length the tire has traveled, which is equal to its circumference.
Since period is 80π, in terms of degree, it is 360/(80π), this makes the 1.43. (If this is confusing, it's just the rules for transforming from cosx)
So now we have all the information to state the equation of the graph:
Amplitude = 30 (Negative as we start in the minimum)
Axis (equlibrium) = 40
Period = 360/(80π), which is about 1.43
Let h be the height of the mark (dependent variable)
Let x be the distant traveled by the tire (independent variable)
h = -30cos(1.43x) + 40
or more precisely
h = -30cos(180/(80π) * x) + 40