Question

What would you need to know to calculate the angular momentum of a man on a Ferris wheel?

Answer 1

The angular momentum calculated with respect to the axis of rotation of an object is given by:

`L=mvr`
where m is the object's mass, v is its tangential speed, and r is its distance from the axis of rotation.

In case of a man on a Ferris wheel, we need to have these quantities in order to calculate his angular momentum. These quantities corresponds to:
- m, the mass of the man
- v, the tangential speed of the wheel at its edge
- r, the radius of the wheel

It is possible to calculate the angular momentum even if we don't know v, the tangential speed. In this case, we need to know at least the angular velocity
`\omega` (because from this relationship we can find the tangential speed:
`v=\omega r`) or the period of rotation of the wheel, T (because we can find the angular velocity from it:
`\omega= (2 \pi)/(T)`).