Question

Have you ever ridden a free-fall ride at an amusement park, where the riders are suspended at a terrifying height and then plummet towards the ground in free fall? These rides use a Lenz’s law mechanism to slow the drop. Explain how Lenz’s law applies to this situation and why this mechanism is ideal for such an application.

Answer 1

Before discussing this situation will have to know what is lenz law so the lenz law states that "if a changing magnetic field induces a current in a coil, the electric current is in such a direction that its own magnetic field opposes the change that produced it."

Now back to the free fall problem. In free fall ride there is a magnet below the seat of every rider and in the lower section of tower there are copper strip. when rider falls freely the moving magnet underneath his / her seat induces electric current in the copper strip and electric current creates a magnetic field that magnetic field opposes the motion of magnet and hence causing slow down of magnet and finally safely stopping the rider.

This is the best way to provide the safety because there is no need of an external agent or factor. If we use any other mechanical system there might be chances of failure and that might lead to the some bad consequences.