zodiak - thorpe park

coxmattycox

coxmattycox

coxmattycox

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Joined
10 May 2007
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308
Hi all.

Currently having a discussion with some mates regarding zodiac at Thorpe park. Why is it that when you are upside down with nothing holding yourself in you don't fall down.

Thanks Matt
 
Are you not strapped in??...am pretty sure if you werent strapped in then the chances of you falling are pretty damn good:confused:.

I havent been Thorpe park but i imagine this is some sort of ride??...

EDIT: Just seen the pics of the ride...interesting....must be some sort of super duper gravitational force keeping you in:p
 
Dunno :p

2u6emft.png
 
I think Zodiac is just the standard 'Enterprise' ride that you see at most theme parks. Yes, it is centripetal force that holds you in. It's the same principle as the sticky wall / wall of death that motorcyclists do.
 
Monserrat said:
I think Zodiac is just the standard 'Enterprise' ride that you see at most theme parks. Yes, it is centripetal force that holds you in. It's the same principle as the sticky wall / wall of death that motorcyclists do.
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Or swinging a bucket of water from one arm - the water won't be falling out of the bucket as long as it swings fast enough. Exactly why you're swinging a bucket of water over your head, I don't know - I assume you have your reasons :p
 
Same principle as swinging a bucket of water around your head. The force applied on you by the rotating machine is greater than that of mavity wanting to throw you back down to earth.
 
Superficial said:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_centrifugal_force_and_centripetal

Example: If you took a rock, tied it to a string, and swung it around, the force from the center of the axis of rotation is centripetal force. The force that causes the rock to pull away from the center, is centrifugal force. If you have ever been in a fast moving car that sharply turns and you feel as if you are pulled to the side, that too is centrifugal force caused by your inertia. The more mass the more inertia

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_t...ntrifugal_force_and_centripetal#ixzz1GVCN96s8
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going by that example it seems that both forces compliment each other and both would be present on the Zodiac.
 
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chaosdestro0 said:
Surely they cannot allow this, what if the ride gets stuck? They will all fall out!
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Tikkabhuna said:
I guess the "cart" is free at that point so even if there was something wrong the cart would just move round due to mavity.
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Google a pic of the ride, its like a Ferris wheel that spins rather quickly, your not strapped in but you do sit in a cage, the cages are also pivoted so if the wheel stopped rotating you would return to the right way up.
 
laiman said:
Google a pic of the ride, its like a Ferris wheel that spins rather quickly, your not strapped in but you do sit in a cage, the cages are also pivoted so if the wheel stopped rotating you would return to the right way up.
Click to expand...

What about those big wheels you see at fairgrounds... They don't automatically spin back but only have a small chain keeping you in... :p

(Big flat circular plate with an 8 foot wall around the edge and small niches in it).
 
I was also taught that it's centripetal force not centrifugal. However I've just read the Wiki entry on both and I don't really understand why the term centripetal is used more prevalently than centrifugal force.

Centripetal is the force from the mass accelerating towards the axis of rotation.
Centrifugal is the reactive force which is equal and opposite to the centripetal force if the object remains in the same orbit.

Is that right?
 
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