Roller Coaster Research Paper

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Physics Make-Up Assignment: Amusement Park Physics Everyone is aware of a roller coaster’s adrenaline causing effects, but not everyone is aware of the physics behind the mechanics of these rides. Roller coasters run on potential and kinetic energy. The purpose of the roller coaster’s initial ascent is to build up the potential energy, the energy stored up in an object, so when eventually there are drops in the ride the potential energy will be released as kinetic energy, the energy that propels one downwards. There are other forces that are at work including gravity, which is why most rides start with a very high initial ascent. Because of this ascent, the force of gravity will pull down at a greater distance. Roller coasters such as the …show more content…

The initial hill, or lift hill, is the tallest in the entire ride and is most likely at the beginning of the ride. The higher the life, the greater amount of potential energy is gained. Since mass and gravity is constant for the ride, if the height is increases the potential energy will increase.. Because of this the potential energy is greatest at the peak of the rollercoaster. As the rollercoaster begins to go downwards from the ascent the velocity increases. This descent cause the coaster to gain kinetic energy and the faster the coaster moves the more kinetic energy it gains shown by the …show more content…

It rises up and goes down intermittently before going all the way up and shooting back down, giving the rider the feeling of vertigo. Vertigo is the sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height. This ride will use potential and kinetic energy, with mass canceling out and gravity and velocity driving the rollercoaster. The ride will have a height of 330 meters, a mass of 890 kilograms, and gravity will be 9.8 m/s. Meaning the potential energy will be 2,878,260. With this information we can determine the velocity. The mass is again 890, and then the kinetic energy is equal to the potential energy so 2,878,260. The velocity comes out to be 80.4

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