In: Physics
a ferris wheel 42.5m in diameter rotates once every 18.2s. What is the ratio of a person's apparent weight to her real weight at (a) the top and (b) the bottom?
please please PLEASE show all steps and write out all the work I have been stuck on this problem and I can't figure out where I'm going wrong.
The Ferris wheel rotates once every 18.2 s
Hence, angular velocity is
At each point in the wheel, the person experiences a centripetal force Fa directed towards the center of the wheel.
When the wheel is at the top:
By Newton’s 2nd law
N1 is the force exerted on the person
Applying Newton’s 2nd law
This is the apparent weight at the top of the wheel
Ratio of apparent and real weight is hence
When the person is at the bottom:
N2 is the force exerted on the person
Applying Newton’s 2nd law
This is the apparent weight at the bottom of the wheel
Ratio of apparent and real weight is hence