The complication is that when the diver is released from the turning Ferris wheel, he does not fall as if dropped from a stationary Ferris wheel. He is actually moving when he is dropped, and this fact can affect both the speed and the path of his fall. The final aspect of the unit problem, then, is to figure out how to take this into account. To get started thinking about how the Ferris wheel's motion affects the diver's fall, consider a situation that involves circular motion but not gravity. 1. You are a skateboarder. You go

to a skateboard park that has a merry-go-round. You hold on to the railing while the merry-go-round spins rapidly, so you are moving in a circular path while on your skateboard. Suddenly, you let go of the railing. What is the path of your motion? Assume your skateboard has perfect ball bearings and that the ground has an ideal surface so that there is no

friction to slow you down.

2. Now think about the Ferris wheel.

You are holding onto a railing on the circumference of a Ferris wheel that is turning rapidly. Suddenly, you let go. Sketch the path of your fall for at least one position in each quadrant.