Roller Coasters

Over the summer I worked at Seabreeze Amusement Park and I was a ride operator. My job is to operate rides, keep children safe, and provide fun. As a ride operator I am curious to know how physics can apply to roller coasters. According to a website I researched, physics applies to roller coasters in a variety of ways. For example, neglecting friction and air resistance a roller coaster will experience two types of forces, the force of gravity and the normal force. The normal force is directed in a direction perpendicular to the track and the gravitational force is always directed downwards. In addition, a roller coaster with loops applies to physics. For example, at the bottom of the loop the track pushes upwards upon the car with the normal force. And since the top of the loop is directed downwards and the track is above the car, it pushes downward upon the car. Lastly another section of a roller coaster is dips. Dips and hills applies to physics because they combine the physics of circular motion with the physics of projectiles in order to create a big acceleration.