Question

Shirley is on a ferris wheel which spins at the rate of 3.2 revolutions per minute. The wheel has a radius of 45 feet, and the center of the wheels is 59 feet above the ground. After the wheel starts moving. Shirley takes 16 seconds to reach the top of the wheel. How high above the ground is she when the wheel has been moving for 9 minutes?

From the information above this is what I did...

w=3.2 RPM and I changed it to 6.4 rad/min
Radius=45 ft
t= 16 secs and I changed it to 4/15 mins

and I'm suppose to plug it in into this formula right?

x(t)=rcos( θ+wt)
y(t)=rsin( θ+wt)

I need help finding theta

Answer 1

3.2 rev/min = 20.1 rad/min. You forgot the factor pi

If she is moving at this rate, and the rate is constant, it should take
(1/2)(1/3.2) = 1/6.4 minutes = 9.4 seconds to go from the bottom to the top of the wheel. Something is inconsistent with the numbers you have been given