a person who starts at the three o'clock position on a ferris wheel with diameter 100 feet travels through 120 degrees. How far have they traveled? What is their height?

Question

anonymous · Answer

120 degrees = 2pi/3 radians. The arc length is the radius (50 ft.) times the angle , so L= (2/3)pi* R. If the ferris wheel is moving counter clockwise, then we are stopped  in quadrant II with 60 degrees to spare before 180 degrees. We know the radius is 50 ft, and the sin of 60 degrees would give us another vertical length for our height. so 50 + sin(60) + however far the bottom of the ferris wheel is situated off the ground, will tell you the height.