In a carnival ride, passengers stand with their backs against the wall of a cylinder. The cylinder is set into rotation and the floor is lowered away from the passengers, but they remain stuck against the wall of the cylinder. For a cylinder with a 2.0-m radius, what is the minimum speed that the passengers can have for this to happen if the coefficient of static friction between the passengers and the wall is 0.25?
A) 8.9 m/s
B) 2.3 m/s
C) 3.0 m/s
D) 4.9 m/s
E) It depends on the mass of the passengers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum speed can be found using the formula for centripetal force and friction: $ v = \sqrt{r \cdot g / \mu} $. Substituting $ r = 2.0 \, \text{m} $, $ g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 $, and $ \mu = 0.25 $, we get $ v = \sqrt{2.0 \cdot 9.8 / 0.25} = 8.9 \, \text{m/s} $.

In a Carnival Ride, Passengers Stand with Their Backs Against