Question

A woman rides a carnival Ferris wheel at radius 17 m, completing 5.5 turns about its horizontal axis every minute. What are (a) the period of the motion, and the magnitude of her centripetal acceleration at (b) the highest point and (c) the lowest point?

Answer 1

Ans )

The period is the amount of time taken to make one revolution

Given radius r=17m

a) The period is 60/5.5=10.9 sec

So the period of the motion, t=10.9 sec

Centripetal acceleration a=v²/r

Tangential velocity v=(πd)/t Ans

=[3.14x(2x17)]/10.9     since(d=2r)

=106.76/10.9

v=9.8 m/sec

now a=(9.8)²/17

therefore centripetal acceleration a=5.649m/s²

b)at highest point (9.8-5.649)=4.151m/s²

c)at lowest point (9.8+5.649)=15.449m/s²