Physics

and Roller Coasters

Understanding the science of motion and how it affects roller coasters
ERICKA APRIL 06, 2015

ERICKA
A PRIL 08, 201 5

Favorite Roller Coaster

Viper, Six Flags Magic Mountain, the red and white roller
coaster

ERICKA
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Physics Vocabulary Terms and Relation to Roller

Coasters
Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate at which an object
changes speed. If the speed is increasing, it is referred to
as positive acceleration. If the speed is decreasing, it is
referred to as negative acceleration or deceleration. The
equation for acceleration is acceleration= (final speedinitial speed)/time. As stated by Newtons first law of
motion, an object can only begin to accelerate when

enacted upon by a force that causes it to move.

Acceleration highly influences how much people enjoy
roller coasters. Thrill seekers tend to prefer faster roller
coasters with more acceleration. These rides start off
slow, but quickly accelerate, allowing people to enjoy the
ride.
Centripetal and Centrifugal Force: Centripetal and
centrifugal force are circular forces. Centripetal force
directs objects to the inner side of a circle and keeps the
object moving in a circular motion. Centrifugal force is
the opposite of centripetal force. It is defined as "center
fleeing" and pushes away from a circle's center. However,
centrifugal force Is invited actually a real force, as forces
require a physical interaction between objects.
Centrifugal force is just an inertia resisting centripetal
force. As centripetal force is what allows objects to
continuously move in a circle, it is what allows roller
coasters to successfully go through loops. Centripetal
force continuously pushes the roller coaster to the center
of the circle/loop, forcing it to change directions and
complete the circular motion.
"g": A g is a unit of measurement for acceleration caused
by gravity. Because of gravity, an object free falling
towards earth accelerates at a rate of 10m/s. For
example, seven g's would mean that the object is
accelerating at a rate of 70m/s. When on a drop in a
roller coaster, the steeper the drop the more gs you will
experience. Higher gs can make roller coasters more
enjoyable for people, as many enjoy fast rides.
Momentum: Momentum depends on an objects mass and
the speed at which it is traveling. It is different than speed
and velocity because both speed and velocity are not
affected by an objects mass. However, mass is an
important factor in momentum. Momentum is equal to
mass multiplied by velocity. Therefore, an object with
little mass can have a large momentum as long as it is
traveling at a great speed and an object with much mass
can have very little momentum as long as it is traveling at
a low speed. A roller coaster has both a great mass and a
high speed. As it continues to move, it builds up
momentum and the speed increases.
Weightlessness: Weightlessness is a sensation commonly
felt on roller coasters. It is caused by a lack of external
forces. For example, when traveling to the top of a hill on

a roller coaster, a rider has the force from their seat

pushing up on them. Once they have gone down the hill,
the seat is no longer pushing up on the rider, causing the
lack of external forces that allows them to feel weightless,
like they are floating. However, the rider has not actually
lost any weight or become weightless. There was no
gravitational or physical change. Had there been a change
in gravity, the riders mass would not have changed but
their weight could have increased or decreased. However,
because gravity is constant on Earth, without scientific
assistance a human being on Earth cannot become
weightless.
Friction: Friction is an object's resistance to motion. It is
seen when two objects interact closely. This usually
consists of the objects rubbing against each other. That is
called sliding friction. Another type of friction, rolling
friction, is observed when one surface rolls across
another. Static friction resists the mov ement of two objects against each other. It
causes the objects to stay put. Fluid friction is resistance caused by a liquid or a gas.
A ir resistance is an ex ample of fluid friction. Friction prev ents objects at rest from
mov ing and causes mov ing objects to decelerate. For ex ample, the interaction
between the track and the roller coaster causes the roller coaster to gradually slow
down. This is an ex ample of sliding friction. Because the car is slowed down v ery
gradually , there is more energy in the beginning of the ride, allowing it to start with
larger drops.

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Energy in Roller Coasters

Kinetic energy can be defined as energy of motion, or
energy an object contains because it is in motion. For
example, kinetic energy is observed when someone is
running across a field. Kinetic energy can also be
transferred between objects when they collide. For
example, when a moving car, car A, hits one that is not
moving, car B, car A will stop moving and its kinetic
energy will be transferred to car B, causing the second car
to begin moving. The greater mass and speed an object
has, the more kinetic energy it will contain. Potential
energy is constantly defined as energy waiting to happen,
or the energy of position. The higher up an object gets, the
more distance it will have to travel down, and the more it
will be able to accelerate while falling. Because the object
will be able to travel quickly, it is like it has a lot of energy
stored in it, or a lot of potential energy. Kinetic energy can

be converted into potential energy, and potential energy

can be converted into kinetic energy.
This is related to hills on a roller coaster. There is less
kinetic energy when the roller coaster is traveling up the
hill because gravity is pulling down on it. At the top of the
hill, the potential energy of the roller coaster is highest
because at that point it has the highest ability to have the
most energy converted into kinetic energy. When coming
down from the top of the hill, the kinetic energy of the
roller coaster is highest because gravity pulls down on the
coaster, allowing it to accelerate. Now, the roller coaster
has both a high mass and a high speed. During the entire
ride, the potential energy is highest at the top of the
largest drop, right before the roller coaster begins to go
down. Kinetic energy is largest at the bottom of the
largest drop.

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Kinetic and Potential Energy Equations

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Equation for Energy

ERICKA

1 joule is 1 unit of energy.

ERICKA
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A Brief History of Roller Coasters

The first roller coaster was created 17th century Russia.
These were not actually roller coasters, but ice slides on
wooden supports whos heights typically varied between
21-24 meters and included a 50 drop. These rides were
most enjoyed by rich Russians. Some believe the first to
add wheels to the contraption was James the 3rd, a
Russian. Others believe it was the French.
By 1886, people had added tracks and speed to the
original ice slides. To add to the thrill, LaMarcus Adna
Thompson decided to add effects to his coaster, such as
scenery on the walls of tunnels the roller coaster would
travel through. Dubbed scenic railways, these roller
coasters became popular throughout the United States.
Until the Great Depression hit, roller coasters to continue
to develop. They became faster and more thrilling. More
elements, such as the loop, were added. Roller coasters
were popular worldwide. From the Great Depression to
1972, when a hit roller coaster called The Racer was built,
roller coasters and going to amusement parks had lost
their thrill. The creation of The Racer marked the
beginning of the second golden age of roller coasters.
Disneyland introduced the first steel roller coaster,
Matterhorn Bobsleds, in 1959. Since then, the amount of
wooden roller coasters has quickly declined, as steel is
more stable than wood and therefore allows the roller
coaster to have a much higher speed. The stability of steel
also allows people to add more than just a single loop to
their coasters. There are steep drops at insane speeds and
loops that come one after another. There have even been
enough advancements for people to create roller coasters
in which you hang safely from the tracks. Now, roller
coasters are many peoples favorite amusement park
attraction.

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Roller Coaster Records

Fastest:
Steel: The fastest steel roller coaster in the world is
Formula Rossa, located in Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Opened in November
of 2010, it travels at a speed of 149.1 mph.
Wood: The fastest wood roller coaster in the world is
Goliath, located in Six Flags Great America in Gurnee,

Illinois. Opened in June of 2014, it travels at a speed of 72

mph.
Tallest:
Steel: The tallest steel roller coaster in the world was
opened in May of 2005. Kingda Ka is located in Six Flags
Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey and is 456 feet
tall.
Wood: The tallest wood roller coaster in the world is
Wildfire, located in Kolmrden in Norkping,
stergtland, Sweden. It is to be opened in May 2016 and
is 187 feet tall.
Longest:
Steel: At 8,133.2 feet, Steel Dragon 2000 is the longest
steel roller coaster in the world. Opened in August of
2000, it is located in Nagashima Spa Land in Nagashima,
Kuwana, Mie, Japan.
Wood: Beast in Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, is the
longest wood roller coaster in the world. Opened in April
of 1979, it is 7,359 feet long.
Steepest Drop:
Steel: Takishiba, located in Fuji-Q Highland in Japan has
a vertical angle of 121, making it the steepest steel roller
coaster in the world.
Wood: With a vertical angle of 85, Goliath in Six Flags
Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, is the steepest wood
roller coaster in the world.
Longest Drop:
Steel: With a drop of 418 feet, Kingda Ka in Six Flags
Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey is has the biggest
drop in the world. It was opened in May of 2005.
Wood: The wood roller coaster with the biggest drop in
the world is Goliath in Six Flags Great America in Gurnee,
Illinois. It opened in June of 2014 and has a drop of 180
feet.
Most Inversions:
Steel: Smiler in Alton Towers in Alton, Staffordshire,
England has the most inversions out of any roller coaster
worldwide. It was opened in May of 2013 and has 14
inversions.
Wood: With 3 inversions, Outlaw Run in Silver Dollar City
in Branson, Missouri has the most inversions out of any

wood roller coaster. It was opened in March of 2013.

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Top Hat

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Pretzel Knot

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How does a roller coaster continue to move

ERICKA

ERICKA

through the twists and turns of a track if it only

uses an engine at the very beginning?
A roller coaster is able to continue moving without the
engine because of, to quote my brother, PHYSICS!!!!!!
Specifically, the constant conversion of the energy a roller

coaster builds up in the beginning from potential to

kinetic and back is what allows it to complete the track.
While climbing up the first and tallest hill, the roller
coaster builds up a lot of potential energy. Once the roller
coaster drops, all the potential energy is converted into
kinetic energy. This cycle of conversion is continued
throughout the entire ride. There is more potential energy
when going up, and more kinetic energy when going
down. Although Newtons law states that no energy can be
created or lost, friction causes the roller coaster to lose
energy and gradually slow down. However, the energy lost
does not disappear. It is redirected into the environment.
Though some energy is lost, the roller coaster never loses
enough so that it is unable to complete the track. Also, the
energy needed to go up a hill or a loop is never more than
the original energy gained when the roller coaster was
going up the first hill.

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Roller Coaster Diagram: Sims 4

Total Length: 354 cm
Total Height: 282.9 cm
Average Speed: 70.8 cm/s
Loop 1 (vertical): Height = 28.5 cm, Width = 19 cm
Loop 2 (horizontal): Height = 39 cm, Width = 25 cm
Loop 1 to table: 59.5 cm
Loop 2 to ground/Table to ground: 74.5 cm
Potential Energy: 15.248 joules
Kinetic Energy: 13.78 joules

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Roller Coaster Video

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uploads.storage.googleapis.com/27686563/88eb6c289d86f8602e84594363e1152c888e18cc/

ERICKA
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Roller Coaster Part 1

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uploads.storage.googleapis.com/27686563/5c676a0404da1c00252701d75f17cadc2d80abe2/1

ERICKA
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Roller Coaster Part 2

https://padlet-

uploads.storage.googleapis.com/27686563/bad7b00eb8ad0b42b56060bd513586514e88a6ef/

http://padlet.com/emli/erickali