Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
A ferris wheel that is 160 feet in diameter has its center 100 feet off the ground. It turns one revolution
every 30 seconds counterclockwise. Jake VonJohnsoniev is riding on the ferris wheel. Located 165 feet
to the right of the point on the ground directly below the ferris wheel is Gustav VonHinsoninski. At the
instant that Jake is in the 3 o o’clock position on the ferris wheel Gustav throws a baseball with an initial
velocity of 142 feet per second and an angle of elevation of 71 in the direction of the ferris wheel.
At release Gustav ‘s arm is 7.2 feet above the ground.
a. Draw an illustration of the ferris wheel and the path of the baseball where the point 0,0 is a
point on the ground directly below the center of the ferris wheel.
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Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
b. Write a set of parametric equations for Jake ‘s position at time t assuming he is at the 3 o’clock
position at time t = 0.
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Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
c. Write a set of parametric equations for the baseball’s path assuming that at time t = 0 it is being
released from Gustav’s hand.
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Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
d. Determine the minimum distance between Jake and the baseball after the baseball is thrown.
Do you think the baseball is catchable?
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Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
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Mr. H’s Trig Ferris Wheel and Projectile Problem_3
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