Attraction of a jerk

Abstract

Jerk plays a pivotal role in the thrilling experience of many amusemement park rides. In addition to exploring the physical aspect of jerks, we tackle the empirical observation of an attractive force between passengers in the popular attraction, the spinning teacups. By modeling the complex system of rotating platforms, we show that pseudotorques induced by changing acceleration lead to jerky movements and an attractive interaction among riders. Our numerical analysis confirms the empirical observations, highlighting the connection between attraction and jerks.