Question

The Ferris wheel at the Puyallup Fair2 has a diameter of about 70 feet and takes 3 minutes to complete a full rotation. Passengers board from a platform 10 feet above the ground. Write an equation for a rider’s height over time.

Answer 1

H = 45 - 35sin (2 pi T/3) H = rider's height above the ground, in feet T = time since the ride started, in minutes. Note: The first time the ride stops to take passengers on or let them off, the equation crumbles.