Question

Suppose a child walks from the outer edge of a rotating merry-go-round to the inside. Does the angular velocity of the merry-go-round increase, decrease, or remain the same? Explain your answer. Assume the merry-go-round is spinning without friction.

a) Increase
b) Decrease
c) Remain the same
d) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

The angular velocity of a rotating merry-go-round remains the same when a child walks from the outer edge to the inside.

Step-by-step explanation:

The angular velocity of a rotating merry-go-round remains the same when a child walks from the outer edge to the inside. This is because angular velocity is defined as the rate of change of angular displacement, and the child's movement does not affect the rotation of the merry-go-round as a whole. Even though the child changes their position relative to the center of the merry-go-round, the angular velocity remains constant.