The Physics Behind a Roller Coaster

Eireann has spent some time researching the physics behind roller coasters! Well done Eireann! 

At the start of a roller coaster ride, the cart is pulled to the top of the first hill but after that, the cart must complete the ride independently.  The roller coaster is moved along the track because the energy converts from potential energy to kinetic energy. The roller coaster can be wooden or steel, the experience of the ride will change depending on the material it is constructed with. They can be all shapes or sizes. It may have a loop or it may not have a loop.  Wooden roller coasters sway a lot more compared to steel roller coasters. 

Inertia allows the roller coaster to glide along the tracks without an engine. Isaac Newton was the scientist who discovered inertia, it was his first law of motion.

“An object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced external force. An object in motion will stay moving in the same speed and same direction unless acted on by an unbalanced external force.”

Read more about roller coasters at the following websites: 

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/

https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/rollercoaster.html