Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Physics of Roller Coasters Essay - 1483 Words

The Physics of Roller Coasters The roller coaster has its beginnings in Russia where during the 1600s. People crafted sleds out of wood and built hills made of ice blocks. The hills had sand at the bottom to help slow down the sleds so they would not crash when they reached the bottom of the hill.1 Over time, the roller coaster has become more complex. They now are taller, faster and are designed out of different materials like wood and steel. Although roller coasters are fun and exciting, the questions, what allows them to twist and turn, go up and down hills at a fairly good speed? Why do they not fall off of the track when it goes through a loop? The answer to these questions and others about roller coasters lies in the application†¦show more content†¦Then as the coaster begins its decent down the first hill, the energy is converted back into kinetic energy as the train is pulled toward the Earth by gravity. Gravity is the traditional source of power for roller coasters that accelerates the train as i t goes on its hilly, twisty journey.3 Gravity is a unit of acceleration, that is always present, that causes free-falling objects on Earth to change their speed at a rate of approximately 10 m/s (32ft/s) every second.1 So, as the train goes down the hills of the track it has a positive acceleration giving it the necessary potential energy to â€Å"climb† the next hill, make a turn, or travel through a loop. Also, as the train goes down the hills and loops, it experiences a free fall effect. This occurs when an object falls and is not inhibited by other objects2 (314-315). As the train goes down the hill, the coasters’ mass causes it to accelerate faster than the people in the car. During the free fall stages of the ride the train does not exert any pressure on the riders or the track causing the riders to feel momentarily weightlessness. This is why the train has wheels on the bottom of the track and the passengers of the train have some sort of restraining device to hold them into their seats.3 So, as the train goes down the hill it is actually falling, causing the velocity of the train to increase due to theShow MoreRelatedRoller Coaster Physics1483 Words   |  6 PagesIndividuals love to go to the amusement parks and try out the rides that are available. The most common and thrilling ride is the roller coaster. An amusement park is not an amusement park if it does not contain a roller coaster. What makes these roller coasters so fun that every amuse parks ha s one. A lot of people would say it is their extreme high speeds that makes it very exciting. That is a valid answer, but it is the wrong answer. The speed has nothing to do with the excitement. It is moreRead MoreThe Physics of Roller Coasters1466 Words   |  6 PagesThe anticipation builds. The roller coaster cannot seem reach the peak quickly enough. 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