How Roller Coaster Works
Roller coasters work by an initial force up the hill which create potential energy then as the coaster falls it converts the potential energy into kinetic energy. No engine is needed because of inertia.
Energy Transformation on a Roller Coaster
At the top of the hill roller coasters have lots of potential energy because the cart is at a large height above the ground. When the coaster starts to fall it starts to gain kinetic energy. In the remainder of the ride it is losing and gaining height. Gaining height will create potential energy. While losing height will create kinetic energy.
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Magnets in Roller Coasters
Magnetic propulsion is used to launch roller coasters at up to 100 mph. It works by having magnets that repel each other and push off to make roller coasters launch. There also is magnetic breaking in witch magnets attract each other gradually too slow down the car. Millennium Force was the first roller coaster to have magnetic breaking.
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Velocity Of Roller Coasters
Acceleration
Acceleration, in physics, is the rate at which the velocity of an object changes over time. An object'sacceleration is the net result of any and all forces acting on the object, as described by Newton's Second Law. The SI unit for acceleration is the metre per second squared (m/s2). Roller Coasters can acceleration very fast going up the hill.
Speed
The rate at which someone or something is able to move or operate. Speed in roller coasters greatly changes because the coaster speeds up or slows down depending on if its going up hill of down hill.
MomentumIn classic mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. For example, a heavy truck moving quickly has a large momentum—it takes a large or prolonged force to get the truck up to this speed, and it takes a large or prolonged force to bring it to a stop afterwards. If the truck were lighter, or moving more slowly, then it would have less momentum.
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Newton's cradle demonstrates conversation of momentum.
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