The vortex is an anti-gravity ride that pins the rider to the wall by spinning around at high velocity. Dream World claims that the Vortex has a maximum speed of 55 kph. This ride offers an excellent opportunity to study circular motion and the centripetal force.

Centripetal Force

Fig 1

According to Newton's 1st law, an object will maintain its state of motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. In the vortex, this unbalanced force is the inward centripetal force Fc (provided by the wall) which prevented the rider from travelling along the tangential path Vt of the circle. (See fig 1)

The rider feels as though pinned to the walls by an outward force because he is feeling the centrifugal force Fc (dashed lines), a reaction of the centripetal force.

As the velocity increases, so do the centripetal force and thus the rider is lifted upwards, this...