Roller Coaster Physics By Cierra Aaron Caitlin Umar

Roller Coaster Physics By: Cierra, Aaron, Caitlin, & Umar

History • • 1600’s Russian Ice Slides 1850’s Centrifuge Railway 1884 First Roller Coaster in America 1898 Flip Flap Railway 1920’s Roller Coaster Safety 1955 First Theme Park- Disneyland 1959 1 st Tubular Steel Roller Coaster. Disneyland’s Matterhorn

How It Works! http: //www. britannica. com/coasters/ride. html

Potential & Kinetic Energy • Roller Coaster equation: KEInitial + PEInitial + Winitial = KEFinal + PEFinal

Gravity and Potential Energy • Gravity – Driving force of Roller Coasters – Acceleration due to Gravity *9. 80 m/s 2 toward center of Earth • Reaching the top of the Hill depends on: – Weight of Coaster – Height of first hill

Gravity and Potential Energy (cont. ) • Initial Hill Climb – Coaster gains Potential Energy • Potential Energy – Stored Energy • Ug= mgh – mass x 9. 8 N/kg x height

Velocity and Kinetic Energy • Descent from Lift Hill – Velocity Increases – Gains Kinetic Energy • Kinetic Energy – Energy of Motion – K = 1/2 mv 2 • Bottom of Lift Hill – Kinetic Energy is Greatest • Next Hill – Kinetic Energy Decreases

Conservation of Energy • Total Mechanical Energy – E= K + U • Conservation of Total Mechanical Energy Equations – Ei = Ef or – Ki + Ui = Kf + Uf

Friction • Non-conservative Force – Mechanical Energy not fully conserved • Friction opposes Motion – Works in opposite direction • Remaining Kinetic Energy – Friction between train & tracks – Brakes

Centripetal Acceleration • Moving in circular path – Passengers pushed to outer edge • Centrifugal Force – Your body’s Inertia • Equation for Centripetal Acceleration – a r = v 2 / r – Bank Turns

G Forces • Earth’s Gravitational Pull – 1 G: Person’s normal Weight • Free Fall – Experiencing 0 G’s • Negative G’s – Top hill w/ narrow curve • Lateral G’s – Changing direction horizontally

Clothoid Loop • Former Circular Loop – Require Greater Entry Speeds • Centripetal Acceleration Increased – At Lower Loop – Greater G’s • Radius Reduced – Keep passengers from lowing – Keep Train from slowing