How much work can be done by this arrangement?

Question

1) Imagine a ferris wheel 2 meters in radius. At the top there is a 1 Kg weight, (2 m from the axis). If this wheel were allowed to rotate so that the weight moved to the bottom the work that could be done by this system would be ?

2) Same as 1, but now the 1 Kg weight at the top is some-what counter ballanced by a 1 Kg weight that is 1 meter from the axis on the opposite side of the wheel. ( As the top weight falls, the bottom one rises).

Please show equations!!

Answer 1

If you remember that work is also equal to the change in kinetic energy=change in potential energy the solution is much easier.