JCPL Teens

When I think of summer, I think of sunburns, hot dogs, and roller coasters. Do you ever wonder what makes you feel like you might loose the giant blue slushie you just gulped down?  Keep your hands inside the car because I am about to explain the physics of roller coasters.

Roller coasters are designed using the basic laws of motion and gravity.  When the cars are going uphill they generate potential energy, just like winding a watch.  At the top of the hill is the point of greatest potential energy.  As they go down-hill they use kinetic energy and reach the greatest point of kinetic energy at the bottom of the hill.  Generally, the first hill will have a slope of 50 degrees.  The typical angle on a high roller coaster is 90 degrees. The Takabisha in Japan has a 121 degree drop created by an S curve.

G-forces, or gravitational forces, are what push you back against your seat.  Typical g-force on a roller coaster ride is 6.  The maximum amount a human has withstood is 108. Human tolerance for g-force will depend on the length of time experiencing the force, the axis at which the g-force is exerted and many other factors like vibration and body support.  The Formula Rossa, located in the United Arab Emirates, is the fastest roller coaster at 150 miles per hour.

There is a new roller coaster being proposed that will create the sensation of zero gravity for up to 8 seconds at a time.  How do they do this?  The coaster cars will be enclosed so your eyes do not tell you that you are hurtling toward the earth.  The coaster will accelerate to maximum speed and then decelerate slightly to lift passengers from their seats.  The coaster will then automatically adjust its speed to match the velocity of the passengers as they fall back to earth.  This potential ride is inspired by the aptly named vomit comet used by NASA to train astronauts.

Want to know more?  Check out our online database Science in Context