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 lowest reading on the scale
A) on top, because the normal force upwards is weaker than your weight.
B) on top, because the normal force upwards is stronger than your weight
C) on the bottom, because the normal force upwards is weaker than your weight.
D) on the bottom, because the normal force upwards is stronger than your weight.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

CWhen you're on top of the Ferris wheel, the normal force (the force the scale exerts on you) is weaker than your weight because the centripetal force needed to keep you in circular motion is directed downwards, reducing the normal force. When you're at the bottom, the normal force is stronger than your weight because it must support your weight and provide the centripetal force directed towards the center of the circle, which in this case is upwards from your perspective. However, the question asks for the lowest reading on the scale, which corresponds to when the normal force is weakest, i.e., at the top. Therefore, the correct explanation is that the lowest reading occurs on top due to the normal force being weaker than your weight, making choice A correct and choice C incorrect in the context of the question's actual request for the lowest reading.

You Go to an Amusement Park And, Being in a Physics