Roller coasters are one of the most popular amusement park rides in the world. Along with all the fun, roller coasters are also very scientific. Physics plays a great roll in every roller coaster ride. Thanks to physics, we know how roller coasters work and why.
Science affects the way roller coasters work all because of the energy. The two types of energy are potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is defined as the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, and other factors. In roller coasters, the potential energy, also called the energy of position, works because as the roller coaster gets higher and higher, gravity is able to pull the coaster down at a grater distance. This happens in many other situations, such as riding a bike or driving a car, but especially in roller coasters. The next type of energy is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy can be defined as the energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion. In roller coasters, kinetic energy is when the energy you gathered while going up the hill is finally released and it is the energy that eventually brings you down the hill. This change in energy during the ride from potential to kinetic is because of the gravity acting upon the roller coaster.
Imagine you are riding a roller coaster. You are sitting in a car, waiting for the ride to start. As the roller coaster starts moving, you are going up a big hill. As you get higher, more potential energy is building up. Finally, you reach the top of the hill and you stop. At this point, the potential energy is at its maximum because the coaster is as high up as it can possibly get. Then you start moving downwards, slowly at first, and then very fast. As the coaster is going down, the potential energy begins to release and become kinetic energy. The coaster speeds up as it goes down the hill because of this, and once you reach the bottom of the hill the kinetic energy is now at its maximum and there is only a small amount of potential energy. As the ride continues, you start to go up a second hill, building potential energy again. When going back down, again the potential energy changes to kinetic. That kinetic energy brings you to the next part of the ride: a loop-the-loop. When going up the loop, potential energy is building just like it would on a hill. Once the coaster reaches the highest part of the loop, it goes back down the loop changing the potential energy to kinetic, again just like it would on a hill. Finally, the ride is over, and both potential and kinetic energy were used.
The reason for the roller coaster car to continue moving is because of Newton's Law that an object in motion stays in motion. Even as the car goes up a hill, it will still have a forward velocity, pushing the car up the hill. Both energies are used and converted back and forth throughout the whole roller coaster ride. The rise and fall in acceleration during the ride helps give the roller coaster such a great affect on people. Thanks to science and physics, roller coasters are some of the most enjoyable rides to ever be created.
Science affects the way roller coasters work all because of the energy. The two types of energy are potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is defined as the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, and other factors. In roller coasters, the potential energy, also called the energy of position, works because as the roller coaster gets higher and higher, gravity is able to pull the coaster down at a grater distance. This happens in many other situations, such as riding a bike or driving a car, but especially in roller coasters. The next type of energy is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy can be defined as the energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion. In roller coasters, kinetic energy is when the energy you gathered while going up the hill is finally released and it is the energy that eventually brings you down the hill. This change in energy during the ride from potential to kinetic is because of the gravity acting upon the roller coaster.
Imagine you are riding a roller coaster. You are sitting in a car, waiting for the ride to start. As the roller coaster starts moving, you are going up a big hill. As you get higher, more potential energy is building up. Finally, you reach the top of the hill and you stop. At this point, the potential energy is at its maximum because the coaster is as high up as it can possibly get. Then you start moving downwards, slowly at first, and then very fast. As the coaster is going down, the potential energy begins to release and become kinetic energy. The coaster speeds up as it goes down the hill because of this, and once you reach the bottom of the hill the kinetic energy is now at its maximum and there is only a small amount of potential energy. As the ride continues, you start to go up a second hill, building potential energy again. When going back down, again the potential energy changes to kinetic. That kinetic energy brings you to the next part of the ride: a loop-the-loop. When going up the loop, potential energy is building just like it would on a hill. Once the coaster reaches the highest part of the loop, it goes back down the loop changing the potential energy to kinetic, again just like it would on a hill. Finally, the ride is over, and both potential and kinetic energy were used.
The reason for the roller coaster car to continue moving is because of Newton's Law that an object in motion stays in motion. Even as the car goes up a hill, it will still have a forward velocity, pushing the car up the hill. Both energies are used and converted back and forth throughout the whole roller coaster ride. The rise and fall in acceleration during the ride helps give the roller coaster such a great affect on people. Thanks to science and physics, roller coasters are some of the most enjoyable rides to ever be created.
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