Roller coaster Definition and 228 Threads

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. People ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are often found in amusement parks and theme parks around the world. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a roller coaster design in 1885, related to the Switchback Railway that opened a year earlier at Coney Island. The track in a coaster design does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters demonstrate. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. Two or more cars hooked together are called a train. Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coasters, run with single cars.

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  1. I

    Work and energy roller coaster question

    Homework Statement A 250kg roller coaster passes a point A(located at the top of a hill of height 18.0m) at 12.0 m/s. What is the speed of the roller coaster at point B located at the bottom of the hill if 8500J of energy is transformed to heat during the journey? Homework Equations...
  2. B

    Roller Coaster Problem with Friction

    Homework Statement Suppose the roller coaster in the figure (h1 = 35 m, h2 = 13 m, h3 = 20) passes point A with a speed of 2.70 m/s. If the average force of friction is equal to one sixth of its weight, with what speed will it reach point B? The distance traveled is 35.0 m...
  3. C

    Change in potential energy on a roller coaster drop (frictionless)

    800 kg roller coaster is initially at the top of a rise, at point A. It then moves 125 ft (38.1 m), at an angle of 40.0° below the horizontal, to a lower point, B. (a) Choose point B to be the zero level for gravitational potential energy. Find the potential energy of the roller coaster-Earth...
  4. H

    How Fast is the Roller Coaster Car at the Top of the Hill?

    Homework Statement As a roller coaster car crosses on the top of a 10 m radius hill (the track is underneath the car), its apparent weight is one-half its true weight. What is the car's speed at the top? Homework Equations A=v^2/r F=ma The Attempt at a Solution I tried...
  5. B

    Why Does Teardrop Shape Matter in Roller Coaster Loop Design?

    Roller Coaster problem! Homework Statement A roller coaster at Six Flags Great America amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois, incorporates some clever design technology and some basic physics. Each vertical loop, instead of being circular, is shaped like a teardrop. The cars ride on the inside of...
  6. S

    Roller coaster and Potential Energy

    Homework Statement A 1000 kg roller coaser train is intially at the top of a rise, at point A. It then moves 135 ft, at an angle of 40 degrees below the horizontal, to a lower point B. Choose the train at point B to be the zero configuration for gravitational potential energy. Find the...
  7. T

    Solving the Roller Coaster Speed Problem: A Max Speed of 20

    Homework Statement A car in a roller coaster moves along a track that consists of a sequence of ups and downs. Let the x-axis be parallel to the ground and the positive y-axis point upward. In the time interval from t=0 to t=4 s, the trajectory of the car along a certain section of the...
  8. T

    Roller Coaster physics- Newton's Law of motions

    Homework Statement The Following text is taken from a roller coaster webpage: "You reach the top of the hill, and finally realize that being in the front seat wasn't the best idea. You find yourself hanging over the ledge for what seems eternity, and finally you feel the foce of the back...
  9. E

    Why cant u go to outer space like an upwards climbing roller coaster?

    when you reach that part 'which the Earth can no longer hold onto you'.. wouldn't u just climb up and then bam.. your floating?
  10. J

    Roller Coaster Dynamics: Forces at the Top and Bottom of the Track

    Im trying to figure when you have a rollercoaster or train, how are the forces different at the top of tracks compared to the bottom of the tracks. How does this relate to setting up F=MA...and the Normal Force. I know at the top you would have a feeling of weightlessness and at the...
  11. D

    Roller coaster triangulation problem

    Homework Statement Derive a formula to calculate the height of the top of a hill on a roller coaster using triangulation. Final answer should be in terms of d, angle 1, and angle 2. There are two points on the ground. Angle 1 is the angle formed between the ground and a line that goes...
  12. W

    Roller coaster circular motion normal forces

    Homework Statement A roller-coaster car has a mass of 1200 kg when fully loaded with passengers. As the car passes over the top of a circular hill of radius 17 m, its speed is not changing. (a) At the top of the hill, what is the normal force (using the negative sign for the downward...
  13. S

    Centripetal force of a roller coaster car

    I got all the other centripetal force questions but this one has me stumped... As a roller coaster car crosses the top of a 30m-diameter loop-the-loop, its apparent weight is the same as its true weight. What is the car's speed at the top? The formula I used for all of the other questions...
  14. S

    Roller coaster free body diagrams

    Homework Statement so I am a 8th grader and i got a homework asignment to draw free body diagrams of a roller coaster on inclines, straight aways and bottom of the hill. we didnt learn about physics yet so here's the question - draw and label free body diagrams for the coaster car on...
  15. P

    Work & Energy for a Roller Coaster

    [SOLVED] Work and Energy Hello, I'm a little new to this forum but I would really appreciate some help with this particular problem. A roller coaster reaches the top of the steepest hill with a speed of 5.8 km/h. It then descends the hill, which is at an average angle of 25 degrees and is...
  16. R

    Minimum Height for Roller Coaster Loop Success

    Homework Statement problem should be solved somewhat with energy conservation. A car in an amusement park ride rolls without friction around the track shown in the figure . It starts from rest at point A at a height h above the bottom of the loop. Treat the car as a particle. What is the...
  17. S

    Calculating Roller Coaster Speed at Top of Loop-the-Loop

    Homework Statement The normal force equals the magnitude of the gravitational force as a roller coaster car crosses the top of a 37 m diameter loop-the-loop. What is the car's speed at the top? Homework Equations n-mg=0 I don't know what equation to use The Attempt at a Solution I...
  18. T

    What Materials Work Best for a Miniature Golf Ball Roller Coaster Track?

    I have to make a roller coaster for a physics project and the dimensions of the project can be no larger than the mase of 1 meter by .8 m and 1.5 m tall. A golf ball is the object that must travel on the track and it must go through a loop and go off a 10 cm jump and travel for 20 seconds. My...
  19. R

    A Wild Ride - roller coaster physics

    Homework Statement A car in a roller coaster moves along a track that consists of a sequence of ups and downs. Let the x-axis be parallel to the ground and the positive y-axis point upward. In the time interval from t=0 to t=4 s, the trajectory of the car along a certain section of the track is...
  20. S

    Calculating Roller Coaster Design for Physics Class

    I have an assignment in my high school physics class to create a roller coaster that has at least one loop and a number of turns and drops. I have been searching the web to find a way to calculate if my car i made of K-Nex weighing 3oz, 85.04g, will have enough speed to clear a loop. The drop...
  21. M

    Roller Coaster Design Project HELP

    Roller Coaster Design Project...HELP! okay so here we go. I'll give everything I have haha. & if anyone can help me out at all it would be greatly appreciated. I'm very much LOST! BTW! I'm not asking anyone to do the project for me, don't get the wrong idea. I did attempt it, I got a little...
  22. D

    Frictionless Roller Coaster Problem

    Homework Statement Consider the frictionless roller coaster shown. (Diagram attached) If a 12000 kg car starts at rest from Point A, calculate: a) the total energy of the system b) the speed of the car at point B c) the force that must be applied to bring it to a stop at point E d) the work...
  23. C

    Kinetic and poetenial energy of a roller coaster loop

    Homework Statement O.k, i'll do my best to explain the problem as I but a picture would probabley be helpful. Basically there's an object of mass m travlleing down an incline. Near the end of the incline it does a loop. The question asks to calculate the normal force(Fn) as a function of ө for...
  24. I

    Making A Small Roller Coaster - A couple of questions (please answer )

    *****Making A Small Roller Coaster - A couple of questions (please answer ASAP)***** Hi I am going to make a small roller coaster and I had a couple of questions about it. 1) What materials are the best in making different parts of a roller coaster model? (The tracks, Loops, Base and ...)...
  25. J

    Designing a Roller Coaster: Higher Hills After the First? Explained.

    Question In the design of a roller coaster, is it possible for any hill of the ride to be higher than the first one? If it is not possible, give the reason. If it is possible, how is it done? Attempts It is possible. Says we make the second hills higher than the first one, we can achieve...
  26. E

    Does a Roller Coaster Exit a Loop at the Same Speed It Enters?

    Quick question: In a loop-the-loop, is the speed at which the coaster enters the loop equal to the speed at which it leaves?
  27. C

    Conservation of Enery (roller coaster)

    ok i this question has been asked but whoever asked it did not show work therefore did not have it answered so here we go my attempt! Homework Statement Show that on a roller coaster with a circular vertical loop the difference in your apparent weight at the top of the loop and the bottom...
  28. P

    Maximum velocity at the top of a roller coaster?

    Homework Statement A roller-coaster car has a mass of 509 kg when fully loaded with passengers. -The radius of the circle is 15m. (See picture below) What is the maximum speed the vehicle can have at point B and still remain on the track? _________m/s Homework Equations Sum of...
  29. A

    Circular Motion of a roller coaster

    Homework Statement The passengers in a roller coaster car feels 55% heavier than their true weight as the car goes through a dip with a 24m radius of curvature. What is the car's speed at the bottom of the dip? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I have no clue as to...
  30. S

    Maximum Speed for Successful Roller Coaster Hill Climb

    Homework Statement A roller-coaster car has a mass of 1050 kg when fully loaded with passengers. As the car passes over the top of a circular hill of radius 19 m, its speed is not changing. (a) At the top of the hill, what is the normal force (using the negative sign for the downward...
  31. J

    Roller coaster: kinetic energy

    A roller coaster car may be approximated by a block of mass m. The car, which starts from rest, is released at a height h above the ground and slides along a frictionless track. The car encounters a loop of radius R, as shown. Assume that the initial height h is great enough so that the car...
  32. R

    Roller coaster loop cart velocity

    in an amusement park ride a cart of mass 300kg and carring four passangers each of mass 60kg is dropped from a vertical height of 120m alonga path that leads into a loop-the-loop machine of radius 30m. The cart then enters a straight stretch from A to C where friction brings it to rest after a...
  33. A

    How Is the Optimal Angle for a Roller Coaster Banked Curve Determined?

    Roller coaster physic? what is the optimal angle for a banked curve on a roller coaster?
  34. A

    What Minimum Speed Keeps Passengers Safe in a 12m Radius Roller Coaster Loop?

    Homework Statement A roller coaster loop has a radius of 12 m. If the passengers are not to fall out at the top of the loop, what is the minium speed the car must have at the top. Homework Equations Fc = Fg-Fn Fc= mv^2/r Fg = mg The Attempt at a Solution I figure that for...
  35. K

    Conservation of Energy roller coaster car

    Homework Statement A roller coaster car starts from rest and descends 40 m before rising 20 m to the top of a hill. The passenger of mass 75 kg at the top of the hill feels a normal force of 368 N. The radius of curvature of the hill is...? Homework Equations F = m * a a = v^2/r...
  36. N

    How to Calculate Energy Required to Accelerate a Roller Coaster on a Flat Track?

    Hey How can i calculate the amount of energy/power required to accelerate my roller coaster on a flat track. Mass=4500 approximate when loaded Time=2.64secs to reach top speed Distance=125m Velocity=47.248ms-1 I know how to calculate it for a track that rises i can use M*G*H/Time but my...
  37. R

    Where is the Least Net Force on a Roller Coaster Going Through a Vertical Loop?

    Homework Statement A roller coaster goes through a vertical loop, the net force on the coaster is the least, where? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I said on the sides. however it could be at the bottom, at the top, or the same all the way around. i assumed...
  38. B

    When can the gravitational potential energy be zero?

    Homework Statement Consider a simple frictionless roller coaster. It begins from rest at x = 0 at a height of y = H. Then it drops into a dip, reaching a minimum at x = 100, with zero height (y = 0). Finally, it goes back up and reaches the crest of a small hill of height y = H/2 at x = 200...
  39. J

    Roller Coaster, Cosine 'ramp', Exit Velocity?

    Homework Statement The teacher screwed up and gave us a problem that he could not solve. I am trying to solve it for fun. A roller coaster has a cosine shape. The coaster starts at the top (0 pi) with near 0 velocity Friction is 0, and there is no air resistance. Homework Equations...
  40. G

    What Is the Maximum Radius for a Roller Coaster Loop to Limit G-Forces to 2.5?

    Homework Statement the roller coaster starts with the first hill being 50 m high. When the coaster gets to the lowest point, starting from the first hill, it has already entered the circular loop. The passengers should be subject to a maximum of 2.5 g's. Figure out the maximum radius the...
  41. T

    Roller Coaster Physics: Force & Max Speed

    Homework Statement A roller coaster has a mass of 510kg when fully loaded with passengers. The radius at point A is 10.0 m and the radius at point B is 15.0 m. -If the vehicle has a speed of 19.6 m/s at point A, what is the force exerted by the track on the car at this point? (N) -What...
  42. L

    Roller coaster K/P energy problem wheeeee

    The question: (I am given a diagram; I'll attempt to describe it here.) Consider a frictionless, 12000-kg roller coaster that starts at rest at the top of a hill, point A, 95 m high. It goes all the way down the hill and coasts horizontally (for an unspecified distance) before reaching point...
  43. I

    Roller Coaster: Centripetal Forces

    Hey there. Say we have a roller coaster trail which is roughly circular. When the roller coaster reaches the top of the trail, then the only forces acting on it are the force of gravity, the centripetal force, and the normal force, which are all acting downwards. Thus, the net force acting...
  44. R

    Centripetal Acceleration and induction roller coaster

    We are to design the track for an induction roller coaster. To create an inital thrill, we want each passenger to leave the loading point with acceleration g along the horzontal track. To increase the thrill, we also want that first section of track to form a circular arc, so that the...
  45. N

    Apparent weight of passengers in a roller coaster

    The passengers in a roller coaster car feel 50% heavier than their true weight as the car goes through a dip with a 20.0 m radius of curvature. What is the car's speed at the bottom of the dip?I'm stuck on this problem. I understand that at the bottom they feel 1.5 times heavier. Other than...
  46. P

    New to Physics? Get Help on Roller Coaster Speed Question

    Hi, new at Physics so go easy. My question is: A roller coaster is traveling on a horizontal track at 20 m/s. What is its speed after climbing a hill 15m high? Ignore friction. any help will be great.
  47. D

    Why Do Roller Coasters Have Oval Loops?

    Roller Coaster loops! does anybody know why do roller coasters have more of an oval loop then rounded loop? Thankss
  48. T

    Roller Coaster and Apparent Weight

    Circular Motion Situation: A concrete highway curve of radius 70m is banked at a 15 degree angle. Question: What is the max speed with which a 1500kg rubber-tired car can take this curve without sliding? Feedback: I learned that the static coeffiecient of friction of rubber on concrete...
  49. K

    Roller coaster displacement physics problem

    here's the question a roller coaster moves 85m horizontally, then travels 45m at an angle of 30.0 degrees above the horizontal. What is its displacement from its starting point? can anybody help me do this?
  50. M

    Understanding Loop Problems in Roller Coaster Physics

    hi there, I'm planning to take university physics in the fall, but I'm lousy at it and doing some practise problems in advance :( i was doing some loop problems, and I'm extremely confused and disheartened and was wondering if anyone could help me? The set up is pretty simple: - there is a...
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