Ferris Wheel Weight Calculation

[Kharmon7814]

Ferris Wheel ...Trick Question?

This is one of those that might be a typo or I am really missing something. A 250lb student is riding on a steadily rotating Ferris Wheel. If the student has an apparent weight of 250lb at the top what will be the students apparent weight at the bottom? What would be the apparent weight of the student at the top if the speed of the Ferris wheel were exactly tripled?
If the weight is the same at the top as it normaly is then all the forces are equaling out so there wouldn't be a change in weight anywhere on the wheel. Right? As for tripling the speed his weight would increase by a factor of 9 so it would be 2250lbs. Am I on the right track here? Thanks for the help

 

[reinhard_t]

Are you sure with the question.Because student with original weight 250 lb will have weight less than 250lb at the top of the wheel provided the wheel move with constant speed.

because the new weight becomes=250-m(v^2/r)
m=mass of student
v=speed of the wheel
r=radius of the wheel

it is possible to have the same weight if only when speed is zero.but the question says"steadily rotating Ferris Wheel".So I am questioning that part.

 

[Kharmon7814]

It was a typo

The weight of the student was 225 at the top. Having all the info makes the problem much easyer.