Question

A Ferris wheel rotates counterclockwise and has a center height of 80 feet and a radius of 78 feet. It completes a full revolution in 90 seconds. Assume that time starts, that is t=0, at the furthest right position of the wheel.

Answer 1

The forces acting on the Ferris wheel system are gravity and the normal force. These forces do not affect the angular velocity and angular momentum of the system.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the Ferris wheel begins to turn, there are two main forces acting on the system: the gravitational force and the normal force. The gravitational force pulls the people on the Ferris wheel downward, while the normal force counters this gravitational force to keep the people in their seats and prevent them from falling out.

As the wheel turns, the forces will not affect the angular velocity and angular momentum of the overall system. The angular velocity remains constant because the forces acting on the system do not change the rotational speed. Similarly, the angular momentum remains constant because there are no external torques acting on the system.