Question

A 50 kg girl who really enjoys science class is riding a Ferris wheel while sitting on a bathroom scale. She is sitting on the scale so she can observe how the normal force of the seat changes as the Ferris wheel rotates. The wheel has a radius of 35 m, and makes 3 revolutions per minute.

(a) What will the scale (which reads in Newtons) indicate when the ride is at the very top (12 o’clock), at the very bottom (6 o’clock) and at the sides (3 & 9 o’clock)?

(b) Assuming the girl is NOT strapped down in any way, what is the minimum number of RPM’s where she will the scale will read zero Newtons , and where will this occur?

Answer 1

Concept- use Newton’s law of motion and concept of vertical circular motion to form equations of motion and find the solution as shown below,