Unlike a roller coaster, the seats in a Ferris wheel swivel so that the rider is always seated upright. An 80-ft-diameter Ferris wheel rotates once every 24 s. What is the apparent weight of a 40 kg passenger at the lowest point of the circle? What is the apparent weight of a 40 kg passenger at the highest point of the circle?

Explanation:

a

    The apparent weight is  

b

    The apparent weight is  

Explanation:

From the question we are told that

    The diameter of the Ferris wheel is d  =  80ft

    The period of the Ferris wheel is  

     The mass of the passenger is  

The radius of the Ferris wheel is evaluated as   substituting values

converting to meters

The angular velocity of the Ferris wheel is mathematically represented as  

substituting values  

   At the lowest the point the  apparent weight of the passenger is  equal to the normal force on the chair which is  mathematically represented as

Where   is the centripetal acceleration which is mathematically represented  as  

So  

substituting values  

   At the highest the point the  apparent weight of the passenger is  equal to the normal force on the chair which is  mathematically represented as