2. As you ride on a Ferris wheel, your apparent weight is different at the top t
ID: 2287296 • Letter: 2
Question
2. As you ride on a Ferris wheel, your apparent weight is different at the top than at the bottom. a. Explain this phenomenon. b. Calculate your apparent weight at the bottom of the Ferris wheel, given that the radius of the wheel is 7.2m, it completes one revolution every 28s, and your mass is 60kg. c. Suppose the Ferris wheel were rotating just fast enough to make you feel weightless at the top. How many seconds would it take if to complete one revolution? [Assume the radius of the wheel is still 7.2m.]Explanation / Answer
a) apparent weight, W_top = m*g - m*r*w^2
apparent weight, W_bottom = m*g + m*r*w^2
b) w = 2*pi/T
= 2*3.14/28
= 0.224 rad/s
W_bottom = m*g + m*r*w^2
= 60*9.8 + 60*7.2*0.224^2
= 609.73 N
c) W_top = m*g - m*r*w^2
0 = m*g - m*r*w^2
r*w^2 = g
w = sqrt(g/r)
T = 2*pi/w
= 2*pi*sqrt(r/g)
= 2*3.14*sqrt(7.2*9.8)
= 5.38 s
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