Jump to content
  • entries
    15
  • comment
    1
  • views
    4,435

Physics of Roller Coasters

Lynn152461

Entry posted by Lynn152461

540 views

 Share

Unfortunately, this is not the season for roller coasters. The winter months are no time for the enjoyable, adrenaline causing fun of amusement park rides. However, that doesn’t stop roller coasters from having heaps to do with physics. Most obviously they has to do with potential and kinetic energy. For example, when at the top of a hill the roller coaster and everyone in it have potential energy due to gravity. To find it you would have to multiply the total mass (the mass of the coaster vehicle and all of the people in it combined) by the acceleration due to gravity (which is always 9.81 m?s^2) and then by the height of the particular hill. And then when the sled starts to go down the hill, the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. So to find that you use the equation KE=1/2mv^2. In this equation, m is the total mass and v is the velocity. So now maybe by the time we can ride coasters again we can really appreciate them.

 Share

0 Comments

Recommended Comments

There are no comments to display.

Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×

Terms of Use

The pages of APlusPhysics.com, Physics in Action podcasts, and other online media at this site are made available as a service to physics students, instructors, and others. Their use is encouraged and is free of charge. Teachers who wish to use materials either in a classroom demonstration format or as part of an interactive activity/lesson are granted permission (and encouraged) to do so. Linking to information on this site is allowed and encouraged, but content from APlusPhysics may not be made available elsewhere on the Internet without the author's written permission.

Copyright Notice

APlusPhysics.com, Silly Beagle Productions and Physics In Action materials are copyright protected and the author restricts their use to online usage through a live internet connection. Any downloading of files to other storage devices (hard drives, web servers, school servers, CDs, etc.) with the exception of Physics In Action podcast episodes is prohibited. The use of images, text and animations in other projects (including non-profit endeavors) is also prohibited. Requests for permission to use such material on other projects may be submitted in writing to info@aplusphysics.com. Licensing of the content of APlusPhysics.com for other uses may be considered in the future.

APlusPhysics Books

APlusPhysics Books

×
×
  • Create New...