Question

Question 2: (CLO#6)
A student of weight 667 N rides a steadily rotating Ferris wheel (the student sits upright). At the

highest point, the magnitude of the normal force on the student from the seat is 556 N. (a) Does the student feel “light” or “heavy” there? (b) What is the magnitude of at the lowest point? If

the wheel’s speed is doubled, what is the magnitude at the (c) highest and (d) lowest point?

Answer 1

A)

At the top the seat pushes up on the student with a force of magnitude Fn = 556N,the Earth pulls down with a force of magnitude W=667N.The seat is pushing up with a force that is smaller than the student's weight and thus the student experiences an decrease in his apparent weight at the highest point.Therefore he feels"light".

B)

Now Fn is the magnitude of the upward force exerted by the seat when the student is at the lowest point.

The net force towards the center of the circle is ,

(Note that we have considered upward as positive direction.)

The ferries wheel is steadily rotating so the value of is same as in part A.

Thus,

C)

If the speed is doubled, becomes 4 times,that is 444N.

At the highest point we have,

which gives

D)

The normal force at the lowest point becomes