Question

A ferris wheel has a radius of 7.62m and spins at a constant speed of 0.67m/s. If you were riding in

one of the baskets of the ferris wheel:

How long would it take you to complete one ride of 12 revolutions?

Answer 1

Let's first find the distance traveled by the rider during one revolution (it equals to the circumference of the wheel):

$$C=\pi d=2\pi r=2\pi\times7.62\ m=47.87\ m.$$

Then, we can find the distance traveled by the rider during one ride of 12 revolutions:

$$s=12C=12\times47.87\ m=574.5\ m.$$

Finally, we can find the time that the rider takes to complete one ride of 12 revolutions:

$$t=\dfrac{s}{v}=\dfrac{574.5\ m}{0.67\ \dfrac{m}{s}}=857\ s\times\dfrac{1\ min}{60\ s}=14.3\ min.$$