Swings & Rotors

Conical pendulums and fairground rides

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Conical pendulum: $\tan\theta = \omega^2 r / g$, independent of mass.
• Its period $2\pi\sqrt{L\cos\theta/g}$ depends only on the cone's height.
• Rotor rides need $\mu\omega^2 r \ge g$.

Steps

1. The conical pendulum
2. Heavier riders
3. Sixty degrees
4. Tension
5. The rotor ride
6. Safe speed