Ferris wheel is a huge rotating wheel powered by motors.
The Ferris wheel was created by America as eye to eye to the Eiffel tower in Europe. Soon this huge wheel became a favorite amusement ride of the summertime.
In 1890, an eminent architect named Daniel Burnham was given the responsibility of creating a dazzling piece in Chicago square. Following this order, he formed a team of America's greatest designers to come up with some noble ideas. It was during this time that the 33-year-old engineer George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. came up with his idea of making a rotating wheel taller than the Statue of Liberty. Ferris owned a company that tested steel and iron for bridges and railroads. He used his knowledge of steel to build a large structure made of steel that would amaze visitors of the Chicago World's Fair.
Despite the fame of the observation wheel, the Ferris wheel got entangled in a number of financial lawsuits just after the fair ended. The great wheel was disassembled and moved to North Clark Street, where it was used from 1885 to 1903. It was then sold and built again in St. Louis, Missouri, for use in World's Fair in 1904. Ultimately, the wheel was demolished in 1906 using dynamites, and the original observation wheel or Ferris wheel was destroyed forever.
History Of Ferris Wheels
The world's first Ferris wheel was made by George W.G. Ferris Jr, and it was used in the World's Fair in Chicago. It could hold 60 people in 36 compartments and rotated around a central axle. When Daniel Burnham disposed of this idea, he used $25,000 of his own money to build the giant Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel was set up much later than the fair started, but it attracted more than a million people who paid 50 cents to ride the big wheel. The people enjoyed the view of Lake Michigan and the city from the top of the observation wheel.
- Ferris's original Ferris wheel was 264 ft (80.5 m) tall and allowed the riders a 20-minute ride on it. The passenger cars could hold 60 people at most.
- This Chicago wheel was supported by two 140 ft (42.7 m) tall steel towers separated by a 45 ft (13.7 m) axle between them.
- The original Ferris wheel was lighted by 3000 light bulbs, newly invented by Thomas Edison.
- The Ferris wheel was originally given the name observation wheel. The giant wheel provided a bird's eye view of the entire city to the people in passenger cars. Later, it was named Ferris Wheel after its builder.
- The original Ferris wheel required more than 100,000 parts to build the entire wheel structure. The axle between the two towers weighed around 11,832 lb(5367 kg).
- Remnants of the wheel were sold as scrap metal. Although the idea of Ferris's wheel was not preserved, a new Ferris wheel at Navy Pier shares some structural similarities with the original one.
Shape And Rotation Details Of Ferris Wheels
Irrespective of its length and width, the Ferris wheel is always built in a circular shape. The wheel entirely acts on laws of physics, and its rotation movement is the greatest example of centripetal acceleration at work. The acceleration of a body towards the center is called centripetal acceleration.
- Ferris wheels are gigantic structures that generally rotate about a central axis. You will see seats on the wheel always hanging downwards, and they are attached to the rim. This is because, as the wheel spins, these seats can rotate freely along with the wheel.
- It is important for large wheels to rotate very slowly; otherwise, the increased rotation rate will have a major impact on the centripetal acceleration.
- The Ferris wheel uses a motor only to go upwards. Once the wheel spins upwards, gravity will automatically pull the wheel down, and this cycle continues for the entire duration of the ride.
- The weight of the body varies apparently at different places of the ride. At the top of the wheel, there is a tendency to feel lighter since centripetal acceleration is pointing downwards.
- At the bottom of the wheel, the Ferris wheel ride becomes the most exciting since both forces, weight and rotation force, act on the body and result in greater acceleration. A Ferris wheel generally rotates at a constant speed and velocity.
Important Features Of Ferris Wheels
The Ferris wheel became popular after George Ferris made the world's tallest structure in 1893. Soon, this idea spread like a forest fire, but he was not the first one to think about making this wheel. William Somers also built a 50 ft (15.2 m) wooden wheel at Atlantic city and patented it. These are some important features of the wheel.
- After its invention in 1893, the Ferris wheel changed a lot, both in its engineering technique as well as appearance. However, they are still built with steel based on the principle of the axle.
- An important feature of the conventional Ferris wheel is that the electric motors have to be fixed to the rim of the wheel. If sliding cars are fitted to rails of the wheel, it is called an eccentric wheel. Sun wheel, built-in 2001, came to be known as Mickey's Fun Wheel. This is an example of an eccentric wheel, but many people mistake it to be a Ferris wheel.
- Most of its wheels rotate at a speed of 1.5 mph (2.4 kph) or even slower. It is powered by a hydraulic motor, which is in turn powered by an electric pump.
- Portable Ferris wheels are transported with the help of trailers. Metal cars of the wheel are generally mounted safely. However, a man in 2013 and a girl in 2012 died after falling off from a Ferris wheel.
- Seats of the Ferris wheel are called using many names. They are referred to as passenger cars, tubs, capsules, pods, gondolas, and cabins.
Ferris Wheels Around The World
The first Ferris wheel was invented around 120 years ago in 1893 by George W.G. Ferris Jr. Despite being a big hit at that time; the original wheel got demolished due to financial disputes. The design, however, persisted in minds of people. Since then, many new and better quality wheels have filled the void, and some of the greatest ones have become very popular in the world. The bigger rides are called observation wheels, but these types of wheels use the technique of the original wheel.
- The Riesenrad of Austria is the world's oldest working Ferris wheel in the world. It was installed in 1897 after the original one was built in 1893. This earlier wheel had only 15 cars.
- The High Roller of Las Vegas was the world's tallest Ferris wheel before the Ain Dubai was declared the tallest Ferris wheel. The High Roller can carry around 1,120 people, and the passenger cars are replaced by observation pods. This is 541 ft (165 m) high and is the second tallest in the world.
- The London Eye of England holds the record of the largest Ferris wheel in Europe. The 443 ft (135 m) London Eye is described as a giant Ferris wheel and has ovoidal capsules. The London Eye is also the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel.
- The Wonder Wheel of Coney Island, New York, is an unusual and tall Ferris wheel that opened in 1920 by the Eccentric Ferris Wheel Company. It is not only a big wheel but is a swing too since the 16 passenger cars swing as the wheel turns. The Wonder Wheel of Coney Island is 150 ft (45.7 m) tall.
- The Big O of Tokyo and Cosmo Clock 21 of Yokohama are two popular observation wheels of Japan. These two wheels are unique in their own way. The Big O does not have a proper center; there is a big opening in the middle through which a roller coaster passes. The roller coaster is visible from the 60 capsules. The Cosmo Clock has a big clock in the middle of the tall Ferris wheel.
- The Alem Cultural and Entertainment Center located in Turkmenistan is home to the world's tallest Ferris wheel built indoors. The only solar-powered Ferris, the Pacific wheel in Santa Monica, is an unusual Ferris wheel in the world. It consists of 160,000 energy-efficient LED lights that light up at night.