Question

A person is riding on a Ferris Wheel. When the wheel makes one complete turn, is the net work done by the gravitational force posiitive, negative, or zero?

Answer 1

Zero

Step-by-step explanation:

The overall work done by gravitational force on completion of a complete turn is zero.

Since the work done by gravitaional force is conservative and depends only on the initial and end position here height and the path followed does not matter.

Since, in a complete turn the wheel return to its final position as a result of which displacement is zero and as work is the dot product of Force exerted and displacement, the work done is zero.

Also the work done in half cycle by gravity is counter balance by the work which is done against the gravity in the other half cycle.