Free-body diagrams for uniform circular motion

In the amusement park ride shown below, riders stand along the outside wall of a circular platform. As the ride begins to spin and speed up, the riders are “pinned” against the wall. The floor drops away, and the riders, to their amazement, are stuck to the wall and do not slide down off the ride.

The free body diagram for a rider of mass m is given below. The force

F_{g}

is the gravitational force exerted on the rider by the Earth, and the centripetal acceleration on the rider is

3 g

Determine the minimum coefficient of friction required to prevent the rider from sliding off the ride when the floor drops away.
Write your answer to 2 significant figures.

AP®︎/College Physics 1

Course: AP®︎/College Physics 1 > Unit 3

Problem