Final answer:
The Ferris wheel will travel a distance of 256π feet after 8 rotations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distance the Ferris wheel will travel after 8 rotations can be calculated by finding the circumference of the wheel and multiplying it by the number of rotations. The formula for the circumference of a circle is C = 2πr, where r is the radius. In this case, the diameter is given, so the radius is half of that. Therefore, the circumference is C = 2π(16/2) = 32π feet. Since the wheel completes 1 rotation in a distance equal to its circumference, after 8 rotations it will travel a distance of 8 times the circumference, which is 8 * 32π = 256π feet.