Question

Suppose that you want to model the height of a rider on a Ferris wheel as a function of time. The amplitude of the function you use as a model should be equal to which of the following?
a. the area of the Ferris wheel
b. the circumference of the Ferris wheel
c. the diameter of the Ferris wheel
d. the radius of the Ferris wheel

Answer 1

Answer: d. the radius of the Ferris wheel

Step-by-step explanation:

We now that the amplitude is the vertical distance between a peak or a valley and the equilibrium point.

Thus in the case of Ferris wheel the amplitude should be the difference between the peak(highest) and equilibrium point or equillibrium point and valley(lowest) points .

i.e. it should be half of the diameter of the circle. Since half of diameter of a circle is equals to radius.

Therefore, the amplitude of the function you use as a model should be equal to the radius of the Ferris wheel.  

Answer 2

The amplitude of the function you use as a model should be equal to d. the radius of the Ferris wheel. The amplitude should be half the difference between the highest (maximum) and lowest (minimum) points which is half of the diameter of the circle. It is known that half of the diameter is the radius of a circle.