Question

Fairgoers ride a Ferris wheel with a radius of 5.00 m (FIGURE 4-22). The wheel completes one revolution every 32.0 s. (a) What is the

average speed of a rider on this Ferris wheel? (b) If a rider accidentally drops a stuffed animal at the top of the wheel, where does
it land relative to the base of the ride? (Note: The bottom of the
wheel is 1.75 m above the ground.)

Answer 1

The average speed of a rider on the Ferris wheel is approximately 0.981 m/s. If a stuffed animal is dropped at the top of the wheel, it will fall vertically to the ground.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the average speed of the rider on the Ferris wheel, we need to determine the distance traveled by the rider in one revolution and divide it by the time taken for one revolution. The distance traveled in one revolution is equal to the circumference of the Ferris wheel, which is 2*pi*radius. Plugging in the radius of 5.00 m, we find the distance traveled in one revolution to be 31.42 m. Since the wheel completes one revolution every 32.0 s, the average speed of the rider is the distance divided by the time, which is approximately 0.981 m/s.

If a rider accidentally drops a stuffed animal at the top of the wheel, it will land somewhere along the circular path of the wheel. Since the bottom of the wheel is 1.75 m above the ground, the stuffed animal will drop vertically down from the top of the wheel to the ground. The position where it lands will depend on the time it takes for the stuffed animal to fall, which can be calculated using the equations of motion.