Optimizing Ferris Wheel Height: Solving with Transformed Sine Function

  • Thread starter Thread starter Veronica_Oles
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Wheel
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 4K views
Veronica_Oles
Messages
141
Reaction score
3

Homework Statement



The Ferris wheel at a carnival has a diameter of 18m and descends to 2m above the
ground at its lowest point. Assume that a rider enters a car at this point and rides the wheel
for two revolutions

(A) model the riders height above the ground vs the angle of rotation using a transformed sime function.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I know the answer is y= 9 sin (x-90) + 11

I know the a is 9 because the 18/2 and the c value is 11 because 2 + 9 = 11 but I don't know how they got to (x - 90)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You need the wheel to be at its lowest point when the person gets in, which is when ##x=0##. So you need the formula to be at a minimum when ##x=0##. What is the minimum value of the sine function, and at what angles does it occur?

[Note: The 90 must be 90 degrees for the answer to be correct]