Ferris Wheel Unit

Saige Hanson- Fogarty

Problem Statement- ​ Ever heard about someone at the circus getting launched off the Ferris wheel at
a certain point and then landing in a cart at a certain position. The Ferris Wheel Unit problem is about a
big Ferris Wheel and a diver named (Greta) who wants to jump from the Ferris Wheel into a moving cart
under her. For that, Greta must find out when she should jump off the wheel so that she dives into the cart
and doesn’t hit the ground and DIE. The goal of this project: Is to figure out what time the diver (Greta)
should jump off the Ferris wheel in order to land in the cart.

Identify Constants-
There was some information already given:
● The radius of the Ferris wheel is 50 feet
● The center of the Ferris wheel is 65 feet off the ground
● The wheel makes one complete turn every 40 seconds
● The wheel turns counter-clockwise
● The car starts at -240 feet to the left of the center
● The car travels at 15 feet per second
● The cart is 8 feet above the ground
● The platform Greta is standing on is at the 3 o’clock position when tlaunch starts to move​.

In this table, it is the different formulas to find the unit problem.

Symbol Formula Meaning

Ferris Wheel- =Rsin(9Tw)+H Yw= Y position on the wheel/

Yw =50sin(9Tw)+65 Vertical Position
Tw= Time on the Wheel
65-8= 57feet above the cart
=50sin(9Tw)+57

Xw =Rcos(9Tw) Xw= X position on the wheel/

=50cos(9Tw) Horizontal Position

Falling- =Yw+Vyo(Tf)-16t^2 Dg= Distance to ground

Dg

Tf Tf= Time falling/ Fall time

√(V yo) − 4(16)(Y w)
²
=-Vyo+/-

2(-16)
 Distance time Vxo+Tf

Cart- =-240+15(Tw+Tf) Cp= X position of Cart

Cp

Initial Velocity- =2.5πCos(9Tw) =2.5π= 7.85

Vyo Vyo= Vertical Initial Velocity

Vxo =2.5πSin(9Tw) Vxo= Horizontal Initial Velocity

Horiz Dist Tf༝Vxo+Xw Horizontal Distance Traveled

Process-
Here is the spreadsheet that each class member created. It is a computation of all the equations that as a
class came up with to help everyone solve the unit problem.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bsXDaB_7FpunNk18WplnXgl83wnEPoA9RzcspWCWRM8/edi
t#gid=0

1. The first thing to do is to find the Yw and Xw coordinates that Greta is going to get launched off
the Ferris wheel and the speed at which the wheel turns. It is also the position of the wheel to
find that you use Soh Cah Toa.
a. To find the Yw coordinate in the spreadsheet represented above. Take the equation from
the table above which was Rsin(9Tw)+Hw and Rcos(9Tw) which is also 50sin(9Tw)+57
and 50cos(9Tw).
b. 50 is the radius of the ferris wheel of 50feet
c. 9Tw is the Angular velocity/ time it will take Greta to jump off the wheel. To find that
you take 40 second which is the number of seconds it takes to go around the ferris wheel
and there is 360 degrees in a circle, and to find the Angular velocity it takes 360 over 40
which equals 9. That's how to find 9Tw.
d. The key to finding 57 is by taking 65 feet which is the center of the ferris wheel to the
ground and then taking the distance from the cart to the ground which is 8 feet. Finally,
take 65-8 to get 57. Fifty-seven is the height from the cart to the middle of the ferris
wheel.
e. After finding the position where Greta jumped off the wheel it is information to help find
the vertical and horizontal velocities.

2. Second step is to find the vertical and horizontal velocities of where the cart will be traveling to
catch Greta off the Ferris wheel​.
a. Velocity is a vector and a vector is the quantity with direction and magnitude.
b. Length/magnitude of the vector is the same as the speed of the ferris wheel.
c. Speed= Distance/Time
d. Circumference=2 π R ↠ 2 π 50= 100 π
e. Time= 40
 f. To find Speed, you take the distance which is 100 and 40 which is the time it takes to go
around the circle. So 100/40= 2.5 π
g. 2.5 π is the speed it takes to go around the ferris wheel but also helps find the velocity.
h. To find Vyo and Vxo it takes some Soh Cah Toa magic.
i. Vy= 2.5 π Cos(9Tw)
ii. Vx=-2.5 π Sin(9Tw)
iii. Those two are the two equations to find the vertical and horizontal velocities.
iv. After finding the horizontal and vertical velocities it will help you find the time
falling.
3. Third step is to find the time that Greta is falling after getting launched off the Ferris wheel.
a. Dg= Distance to ground which is: dg= h+Vyo-16t²
b. 0= h+Vyo-16t² 0 is the distance to ground
c. 16t² is gravity
√b²−4ac
b +/−
d. Quadratic formula = 2a

e. 0=Yw+VyTf-16Tf
−V y+/−√V y²−4(−16)(Y w)
f. Tf= 2(−16)
g. Tf is the equations of how long it will take Greta to hit the ground with an initial velocity.
h. After knowing the Time falling after getting launched it will help you find the time the
cart is catching Greta.

4. Fourth step is to find the cart position when it catches Greta.

a. Cart Variables
i. -240 feet from the left of the ferris wheel
ii. 8feet tall
iii. Moves 15 ft/sec
b. Formula
i. Cp= Cart Position
ii. -240 starting position
iii. 15ft/sec
iv. Equation= Cp= -240+15Tw
1. This equation gives information about putting the cart directly below
Greta.
v. New Equation for fall time
1. Because you want the cart to catch Greta
2. Cp=-240+15(Tw+Tf)
3. This is the equation that the class used to catch Greta at the position she
will be landing.
c. All of these equations help find the solution to this unit problem.

5. Last, you will need to find the horizontal distance that Greta is on the Ferris wheel.
a. Xfinal= Xw+VxTf
Solution-
The solution you need two equations which are:
1. Cp=-240+15(Tw+Tf)
2. Horizontal distance traveled which is:
3. Xf=Xw+VxTf
The goal of this unit: Is to figure out what time the diver (Greta) should jump off the Ferris wheel in order
to land in the cart.
1. Cp=Xf- Wherever you are at on the ferris wheel you will jump off and land in the card safely
a. -240+15(Tw+Tf)=Xw+VxTf
b. Use Demos to solve it because it is hard so solve by hand.
c. ANSWER= Time you jump off= Around 11 seconds

Conclusion
Personally during this unit problem, it was semi easy semi hard. One thing that I struggled with during the
problem was writing the process out of my essay. After finding the unit problem I struggled with
explaining it in my process in my essay. One thing that I feel helped me was Ande explaining how each
formula tied into the other formulas. For example, when trying to find the answer of Tf (Time Falling)
you need to know Vy and Yw. Being able to understand how all the questions tied in to solving the unit
problem was difficult but once Ande helped me through explaining all the equations I finally started to
understand. I grew as a mathematician believing in myself to be able to do this kind of math. If I didn't
have the self confidence in myself then I would have just given up right away during this unit. --