Why is this question ill-posed? Hint: The numbers are phisically impossible.
The London Eye is a large ferris wheel that has a diameter 135 meters and revolves continuously. Passengers enter at bottom of the wheel and complete one revolution in 20 minutes. One minurte into the ride a passenger is rising at 0.1 meters per second. How fast is the horizontal motion of the passenger at that moment?
Remember, don't have to answer problem, only why is it ill-posed?
2006-10-29 14:52:32 · 4 answers · asked by RedwoodLife 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Vt = πd/t = 135π/20 = 21.206 m/s, which is a whale of a delta-v to step across. If the wheel revolves continuously, it does not stop to embark or debark passengers, and tangential acceleration is always 0. If it stops for passengers, there is insufficient data to determine acceleration and deceleration.
2006-10-29 15:11:04 · answer #1 · answered by Helmut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the above...
It's only solvable if the passengers can get on without the ferris wheel stopping.
If they can, then you have to calculate the horizontal and vertical components of the tangent at exactly pi/10 radians around the ferris wheel (radius of 67.5m).
The magnitude of the tangent at any point is
2pi*(r squared)/20 mins
= 2pi*(67.5^2)m/1200s
Then see if the vertical component is 0.1m/s. If it isnt then the given values cant be true.
I didnt actually work out the math, that's just how you might set it up.
2006-10-29 23:53:30 · answer #2 · answered by brian-upstairs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since you have given the rotational speed and radius, they alone determine the rate of rise one minute from the bottom. Unless you have carefully calculated that the .1m/s is correct, then the problem has too much info for a consistent solution.
2006-10-29 23:06:00 · answer #3 · answered by Steve 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the goal is to make you practice your basic calculus. The goal is NOT to teach about the physics of ferris wheels and how they work.
2006-10-29 23:07:08 · answer #4 · answered by The Prince 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋