In Vienna, there is a Ferris wheel designed so that the passengers ride in a standing position. If one of the passengers were standing on a bathroom scale while the ride rotated at a constant speed, the scale would read lowest at
A) the lowest point in the ride.
B) the highest point in the ride.
C) the point in the ride where they were ascending most rapidly.
D) the point in the ride where they were descending most rapidly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At the highest point in the ride, the centripetal force required to keep the passenger moving in a circle is provided by a combination of the force of gravity and the normal force from the scale. Since the force of gravity is already acting downwards, the scale needs to provide less upward force to achieve the necessary centripetal force, resulting in a lower reading on the scale.

In Vienna, There Is a Ferris Wheel Designed So That