Roller Coasters in Motion by

Acceleration

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-07 19:04:02 UTC

Acceleration is related to roller coasters. Roller coasters have large accelerations because the cart that you ride in is moving from slow to fast throughout the ride. Also, it can go in any direction. Such as, right,left,up,down, or in a loop.

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-07 19:10:13 UTC

Centripetal Forces are part of roller coasters because it pushes the cart inwards. For example, if you are making a turn on the ride the centripetal force pushes you in, so you don't fall off. However, the centrifugal force pushes you outward. When you turn, this force pushes against the centripetal force keeping you from falling.

"G"

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:13:48 UTC

A g unit is a unit of acceleration equivalent to the acceleration caused by gravity. On roller coasters, when you go down, you are experiencing a free fall or a "g". If you experience 4 g's you are falling at a rate of 40 miles per second. (Mps).

Momentum

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:16:01 UTC

Any mass that is moving has momentum. So since a roller coaster is moving(must of the time) it has momentum. If it is moving at a high speed it has a lot of momentum. If you have a low speed you have little momentum.

Weightlessness

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:18:59 UTC

Weightlessness is when an object feels no external force upon it. It is a sensation, not an actual change in weight. So, when a 75 pound person goes on tower of terror, or any free fall coaster, the seat is pushing up against her. While she is falling, the seat has fallen out from under her. She no longer feels the external force of the seat but has a sensation of weightlessness. However, she has not lost weight but feels like it because of the seat force.

Friction

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:23:15 UTC

Friction is a force that resists motion on an object. On a roller coaster, when the ride is over, you come to an abrupt stop, the wheels ar rubbing and sliding against the track. This is the force of friction that is causing it to stop, it resisted the cars motion.

Energy

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:29:21 UTC

Everything has energy. But, you can't hold energy in your hands or see it directly. Energy is the ability to do work and is measured in joules. Also, there are two kinds of energy, kinetic and potential.

Kinetic Energy

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:31:17 UTC

Kinetic energy is energy in motion, like vibrating, spinning, or stretching. Some molecules have more kinetic energy than others, this means they also have a higher tempature. Kinetic energy (energy of motion) is dependent upon the mass of the object and the speed of the object. The train of cars speed up as they lose height. Therefore, their original potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy while they go down on the ride.

Potential Energy

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-08 20:36:49 UTC

Potential Energy is energy waiting to happen. For example, when you stretch a rubber band you are experiencing potential energy. It is energy of position, it can convert to kinetic energy, or energy in motion. Potential Energy changes throughout the Roller Coaster because when you go up the energy is in position because the cart is on the tip of the track. This is when potential energy is at its greatest because it is collecting energy.

Potential and Kinetic Energy Equations

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-10 23:23:50 UTC

Potential and Kinetic Energy On Roller Coasters

kendall_graysd — 2014-04-10 23:36:16 UTC