You go to an amusement park and, being in a physics class, you have connections. The management lets you stand on a scale as you ride a Ferris Wheel that rotates fairly rapidly. You will notice the highest reading on the scale.

A) on top, because the support force upwards is weaker than your weight.

B) on top, because the support force upwards is stronger than your weight

C) on the bottom, because the support force upwards is weaker than your weight.

D) on the bottom, because the support force upwards is stronger than your weight.

Question

Physics

Maximus Olsen

17 February, 04:44

You go to an amusement park and, being in a physics class, you have connections. The management lets you stand on a scale as you ride a Ferris Wheel that rotates fairly rapidly. You will notice the highest reading on the scale.

A) on top, because the support force upwards is weaker than your weight.

B) on top, because the support force upwards is stronger than your weight

C) on the bottom, because the support force upwards is weaker than your weight.

D) on the bottom, because the support force upwards is stronger than your weight.

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Answers (1)

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Moshe Rasmussen · Answer 1

C) on the bottom, because the support force upwards is weaker than your weight.

Explanation:

This is because, normally an added force increases the normal force on the floor making it greater than your weight. And that means that the normal force of the floor against your feet was also greater than your weight.

But on a ferris wheel, the normal force is larger at the bottom than at the top. In fact, if the person stands on a scale inside the cabin of the Ferris wheel, the scale will read a larger value at the bottom than at the top.