Answer :
The eerie feeling when moving downwards on a swing is due to the effects of gravity and reduced normal force, creating a sensation similar to weightlessness. This can be compared to the feelings experienced in amusement park rides. The physical concepts involved are acceleration and normal force.
When playing on a swing, particularly during the downwards motion, one often experiences an eerie feeling. This sensation is caused by the acceleration due to gravity and the forces acting upon the body. As you descend, you essentially enter a state similar to weightlessness due to the reduced normal force acting on your body, similar to the feeling experienced during rides in amusement parks.
To understand this phenomenon better, we can break it down into two main physical concepts:
- Acceleration: As you swing down, the acceleration due to gravity makes you feel lighter. Essentially, your body is accelerating downward at the same rate as the swing, creating a sensation of free fall.
- Normal Force: This is the force exerted by the swing seat, which decreases when you move downward rapidly, causing your body to feel less supported and thus creating that eerie, light sensation.
These concepts of acceleration and normal force explain why we get such feelings on swings and other similar rides.
