The Merry Mixer Ride Model shows the motion of two superimposed circular motions. The main frame of the ride rotates in one direction, while a second rotation at the ends of the frame arms carries the riders in an additional circular motion, ususally in the opposite direction.
In this simulation, the operator controls the two rotation rates as well as the radii of the two orbits. The systems response to changes in controls is lagged to prevent unphysical accelerations of riders. Remember to let the simulation run for several seconds after adjusting controls for the changes to settle in.
The Merry Mixer Ride Model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the jar file will run the program if Java is installed.
Please note that this resource requires
at least version 1.5 of Java (JRE).
Merry Mixer Ride Source Code
The source code zip archive contains an XML representation of the Merry Mixer Ride Model. Unzip this archive in your Ejs workspace to compile and run this model using Ejs. download 190kb .zip
Last Modified: January 15, 2012
6-8: 4F/M3b. If a force acts towards a single center, the object's path may curve into an orbit around the center.
11. Common Themes
11A. Systems
6-8: 11A/M2. Thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others. The output from one part of a system (which can include material, energy, or information) can become the input to other parts. Such feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole.
9-12: 11A/H2. Understanding how things work and designing solutions to problems of almost any kind can be facilitated by systems analysis. In defining a system, it is important to specify its boundaries and subsystems, indicate its relation to other systems, and identify what its input and output are expected to be.
11B. Models
6-8: 11B/M4. Simulations are often useful in modeling events and processes.
9-12: 11B/H2. Computers have greatly improved the power and use of mathematical models by performing computations that are very long, very complicated, or repetitive. Therefore, computers can reveal the consequences of applying complex rules or of changing the rules. The graphic capabilities of computers make them useful in the design and simulated testing of devices and structures and in the simulation of complicated processes.
9-12: 11B/H3. The usefulness of a model can be tested by comparing its predictions to actual observations in the real world. But a close match does not necessarily mean that other models would not work equally well or better.
M. Gallis, Computer Program MERRY MIXER RIDE MODEL (2012), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11642&DocID=2531).
Gallis, M. (2012). Merry Mixer Ride Model [Computer software]. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11642&DocID=2531
%0 Computer Program %A Gallis, Michael %D January 9, 2012 %T Merry Mixer Ride Model %8 January 9, 2012 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=11642&DocID=2531
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1 source code document is available
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