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This booklet will discuss some of the principles involved in the design of a roller

coaster. It is intended for the middle or high school teacher. Physics students may find the
information helpful as well. Many of the concepts can be applied to topics other than roller
coasters. Some sections will use the Roller Coaster Simulator, RCS. (See page 78 for
instructions on its construction.) The included activities are hands on cookbook type. Each
section includes background topics that should have been taught previously.

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Topic
General
The Simple Roller Coaster
The Most Often Used Calculations
Getting the Coaster Started
Weightlessness
Hills and Dips (and Projectile Motion)
Loops
Physiological Effects of Acceleration
Center of Mass
Banked Curves
Further Support Materials
Making the Roller Coaster Simulator
Making a Hot Wheels Train
Roller Coaster Activities
Field Estimation Tips (Handout)
Formulae and Constants
How to Take Roller Coaster Measurements in the Park
Amusement Park Labs
Intro to Design: Example
Simple Coaster Practice
Roller Coaster Test #1
Roller Coaster Test #2
Answers to the Activities
Extra Credit Coaster Design Activitiy
One Final Note of Preparation for Next Year

This book assumes some rudimentary knowledge of physical science. It is a simplified


view of what design considerations and science a mechanical/civil design engineer must
know when designing a roller coaster.

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by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

A roller coaster is a balance between safety and sensation. Naturally, the ride should
be as safe as possible. After all, if the people are injured riding the coaster then there
would be fewer repeat riders. Fewer repeat riders means a short life span for the coaster.
On the other hand, passengers ride a coaster for the death defying thrill. The key to a
successful coaster is to give the rider the sensation of speed and acceleration. It all comes
down to speed control.
To achieve this, the hills, curves, dips, straight always, braking systems and loops are
not randomly designed. They follow some simple rules of physics.

In order to understand what is going on, students must understand the difference
between velocity and acceleration.

Velocity describes how quickly an object changes it position. The higher the velocity
the quicker an object travels between 2 locations. Phrases like, ...how fast..., how quickly,
are used to describe velocity. Often the word speed is substituted for the word velocity in
common usage. However, technically the two are different. Velocity is actually speed with
direction. For example, 60 mph, west, is a velocity. West is the direction and 60 mph is
the speed. The units of velocity are in the form of
Velocity = Units of Distance
Units of Time
Example = meter mile furlong
second hour week

Acceleration describes how quickly an object changes its velocity. Phrases like,
...slow down..., ...speed up..., ...change speed... and change velocity... are used to
describe accelerations. If a student wants an easy way to determine if he is visualizing
acceleration or a constant velocity along a straight line he only needs to ask himself one
question, Is the object slowing down or speeding up? If the answer is Yes, then it is
accelerating. If the answer is No then it is moving with a constant velocity. The units of
acceleration are in the form of
Acceleration = Units of Distance = Units of Velocity
Units of Time
(Units of Time)2
Example = meter
second 2
mile
( hour
)
sec

meter
secondhour 2

mile
hour2

furlong
week2

( meter
( fathom
sec )
min )
sec

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sec

by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

The simple roller coaster started with Galileo Galilei. Below is a description of how to
demonstrate Galileos experiment using the Roller Coaster Simulator. [This experiment
could also be duplicated using a HotWheels track and a marble.
Marble STARTS here

Adjust the ramp to lower angles. The marble


keeps rolling to the same height. Galileo
concluded from a similar experiment that the
marble will keep rolling until it reaches the
same height it started from if there were no
friction. (With friction, it will keep rolling until
it reaches the stop height.)

Marble STOPS here

Marble does not reach stop height


and continues to move.

This has far-reaching implications. (1) The marble could take any path until it reaches
the same height it starts from, assuming no friction. In the previous activity, the marble did not
roll to the same height it started from because of friction. But it consistently rolls to the same
height. To reflect these implications, the track could be reshaped as shown below.

Marble STARTS here

Marble STARTS here

Marble STOPS here

Marble STARTS here

Marble STOPS here

Marble does not make it


around the loop segment.

Marble STOPS here

-5-

Marble STARTS here

Marble makes it around the


loop because it never
reaches the stop height.
Marble STOPS here

by Tony Wayne

(2) The ball begins to roll down due to the force of gravity. It stops when all the energy gravity
gave the ball is used up. The marble accelerates only while a force acts on it in its direction of
motion.
Here is a good exercise to draw on a chalk board.

The gray sections of track are where the coaster car accelerates. (Speeds up
or slows down.)
The black sections of track are where the coaster car travels at a constant
velocity.
The acceleration can be demonstrated experimentally using the roller coaster simulator or
HotWheels track. If a long enough section is made horizontal, it can be shown that the
average velocities calculated at the beginning and at the end of the horizontal section are
equal. Form the track in the shape shown below. Roll a marble or steel bearing down the
track. It will accelerate along the drop and move at a constant velocity along the horizontal
section and slow down as it climbs up the opposite side. When the marble slows down and
speeds up on the hills it is visually obvious. What is not so visually obvious is what happens
along the horizontal section of the track. The balls constant velocity can be shown
mathematically. Divide the horizontal section of the track into 2 sections. Calculate the
average velocity of the ball along these two sections. If done accurately, the velocities will be
nearly equal. To obtain more accurate results, use fairly long sections of horizontal track. The
longer the sections of track, the greater the time measurement. Longer time measurements
mean lower percent errors.

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by Tony Wayne

Marble STARTS here

Force of gravity
changes the
speed of the ball.

V1avg

Marble STOPS here

V2avg

Force of gravity
changes the
speed of the ball.

Velocity for the ball does


not change

Along the horizontal section of the track, ignoring the minimal effects of friction, there are no
forces acting on the ball horizontally. Therefore the ball moves at a constant velocity while no
force acts on it. This is Galileos law of inertia!!!

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by Tony Wayne

Here is another example of an illustration of Galileos experiment.


RING STAND WITH AN
ATTACHED PENDULUM.
RELEASE
HEIGHT

AS THIS PEG IS MOVED


HIGHER AND LOWER, THE
BALL WILL CONTINUE TO
REACH THE HEIGHT IT IS
DROPPED FROM.

RELEASE
HEIGHT

RELEASE
HEIGHT

RELEASE
HEIGHT

The ball continues until it reaches the starting height.

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by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

A roller coaster is called a coaster because once it starts it coasts through the entire
track. No outside forces are required for most coasters. (A few have double or triple lift hills
and braking sections.) Roller coasters trade height for velocity and velocity for height. Most all
calculations rely on using velocity measurements in one way or another. The first step is
being able to calculate the changes in speed.
In an ideal world, mechanical energy is conserved. Frictional forces are ignored in
early design stages. (This document does not address the nuances of dealing with frictional
forces.) Mechanical energy on a roller coaster comes in two basic forms. Kinetic energy, KE =
(1/2)mv2 , and potential energy, PE = mgh, due to gravity. Total energy, ET, is conserved and
is equal to the sum of kinetic and potential at any single location.
ET = KE + PE (at any single location)

8.8 m/s

8.8 m/s

95 m

95 m
65 m

65 m

8.8 m/s

8.8 m/s

95 m

95 m
65 m

65 m

All four of these roller coasters look different. But because friction is ignored all four roller coasters will have
the same speed at the bottom of each hill and at the top of the second. The only thing that matters is the
height of the locations of interest.

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by Tony Wayne

to calculate a change in velocity associated with a change in height


Step 1 Identify two locations of interest. One with both a speed and a height and the
other location with either speed or height.
Step 2 Write an equation setting the total energy at one location equal to the total
energy at the other location.
Step 3 Solve for the unknown variable.

What is the velocity at the bottom of the first hill?


ET(TOP) = ET(BOTTOM)
KE + PE = KE +PE
1
( /2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh

The masses cancel out because it is the same


coaster at the top and bottom.

(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2 + gh Substitute the numbers at each location


(1/2)(8.8)2 + 9.8(95) = (1/2)v2 + 9.8(0)
The height at the bottom is zero because it is the
lowest point when comparing to the starting height.

( 1/2)v2

77.44 + 931 =
1008.44 = ( 1/2)v2
2016.88 = v 2
v = 44.9 m/s ...at the bottom the the 1st hill.
What is the velocity at the top of the second hill?
ET(TOP OF 1st HILL) = ET(TOP OF 2nd HILL)
KE + PE = KE +PE
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh

The masses cancel out because it is the same

coaster at the top and bottom.


(1/2)v2
(1/2)(8.8)2

(1/2)v2

+ gh =
+ gh
2
1
+ 9.8(95) = ( /2)v + 9.8(65)

Substitute the numbers at each location


Notice all the numbers on the left side come from the top
of the 1st hill while all the numbers on the right side
come from the top of the 2nd hill.

77.44 + 931 = ( 1/2)v2 + 637


371.44 = ( 1/2)v2
742.88 = v 2
v = 27.3 m/s ...at the top the the 2nd hill.
This technique can be used to calculate the velocity anywhere along the coaster.

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by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

Something has to be done to get the coaster started. In our previous example energy,
power, has to added get the coaster up to 8.8 m/s. This is done by doing work on the coaster.
A simplified definition of work would be force times displacement when the force and
displacement go in the same direction. [This chapter will not go into all the details of
calculating work.] Suffice it to say that when the force acting on the coaster and the
displacement of the coaster are in the same direction, work adds energy to the coaster.
When the force acting on the coaster and the displacement of the coaster are in opposite
directions, work removes energy from the coaster.
FORCE

DISPLACEMENT

DISPLACEMENT

Energy is added to
the car.

FORCE

Energy is removed
from the car.

Work = (Force)(Displacement)
W = Fd
Where work is measured in joules, J. Force is measured in Newtons, N, and
displacement is measured in meters, m.

What is the velocity of the train after being catapulted into motion?
A catapult system propels
the car across a distance of
12.5 m by an 8800 N force.
Starts from rest
v = ? m/s
DISPLACEMENT
12.5 m
95 m
65 m

Train mass is 3.0 X 10 3 kg

ET(BEGINNING) + Work = ET(TOP OF 1st HILL)


KE + PE +W = KE +PE
2
1
( /2)mv + mgh + Fd = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)3000(0)2 + 3000(9.8)(3000) + 8800(12.5)= (1/2)3000v2 + 3000(9.8)(0)

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Substitute the
numbers at each
location

by Tony Wayne

110,000 = ( 1/2)(3000)v2
73.333 = v 2
v = 8.6 m/s ... at the end of the catapult.
As an aside you can calculate the acceleration of the rider from kinematics equations.
(For the curious the acceleration is 7.0 m/s 2)

What is the velocity of the train after being catapulted into motion?
A pulley system lifts the train up
an incline as shown below with a
19,715.464 N force.

Train mass is 3.0 X 10 3 kg


v = ? m/s

Starts from 5.2 m/s after it


leaves the station and engages
the lifting mechanism.

95 m
145.5 m
DISPLACEMENT

65 m

ET(BEGINNING) + Work = ET(TOP OF 1st HILL)


KE + PE +W = KE +PE
(1/2)mv2 + mgh + Fd = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)3000(5.2)2 + 3000(9.8)(0) + 19,715.464(145.5) = (1/2)3000v2 + 3000(9.8)(95)
40560 + 2868600.012 = (1/2)(3000)v2 + 2793000
116160.012 = (1/2)(3000)v2
77.44 = v2
v = 8.8 m/s ... at the end of the catapult.

A roller coaster train of mass 3.0 X 103 kg rolls over a 11.5 m high hill at 8.34 m/s before
rolling down into the station. Once in the station, brakes are applied to the train to slow it
down to 1.00 m/s in 5.44 m.
(a) What braking force slowed the train down?
(b) How much time did it take to slow the train down?
(c) What was the acceleration of the train in gs?

ET(HILL) = ET(@ 1 m/s) + Work


KE + PE = KE +PE +W
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh + Fd
(1/2)3000(8.34)2 + 3000(9.8)(11.5) = ( 1/2)3000(1)2 + 3000(9.8)(0) + F(5.44)

Substitute the numbers


at each location

442433.400 = 1500 + 5.44F


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by Tony Wayne

F = 81053.9 N ...force to slow down the train


Calculate the velocity as the train enters the station. Use this velocity to calculate the time.
ET(HILL) = ET(@ STATION ENTRANCE) No work is done because no force acts between the two
locations
KE + PE = KE +PE
1
( /2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)3000(8.34)2 + 3000(9.8)(11.5) = ( 1/2)3000v2 + 3000(9.8)(0)
Substitute the numbers
at each location

442433.400 = 1500v2
v = 17.174
v = 17.2 m/s ...as the train enters the station.
The time is calculated from
vo = 17.174 m/s
vf = 1.00 m/s
x = 5.44 m
t =?
x
v + vf
= o
t
2
5.44 17.174 + 1
=
t
2
t = 0.599 sec
Calculate the acceleration in m/s 2. Then convert it into gs.
F= ma
81053.934 N = (3000 kg)a
a = 37.018 m/s 2
a = 37.018 m/s 2/ 9.80 m/s 2 = 3.78 gs
... Yeow! Thats a big jerk on the passengers
into the restraining harness.

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by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

Weight is the pull of gravity. Typical weight units are pounds and newtons. (1 pound
4.45 newtons). On the moon, gravity pulls with 1/6 the force compared to the Earth. Therefore,
a student on the moon weighs 1/6 of what she weighs on the Earth.
On the Earth, neglecting air resistance, all objects will speed up at a rate of 9.80 m/s every
second they fall. That is a speed increase of about 22 mph for every second an object falls.
Time in the Air

Velocity

mph

22

44

66

88

110

There are two ways to experience weightlessness. (1) move far enough away from the
planets and sun to where their pull is nearly zero. [Gravity acts over infinite distance. One can
never completely escape it.] (2) Fall down at a rate equal to the pull of gravity. In other words,
accelerate to the Earth speeding up 22 mph every second in the air. In order for a person to
feel weight, a person must sense the reaction force of the ground pushing in the opposite
direction of gravity.

PULL OF GRAVITY
(WEIGHT)
REACTION FORCE OF
THE GROUND

In the absence of the reaction force a person will sink through the ground.
Many amusement park rides generate the weightless sensation by accelerating down
at 22 mph every second.

gs
Neglecting air resistance, if a rock is dropped, it will accelerate down at 9.8 m/s 2 . This
means it will speed up by 9.8 m/s for every second it falls. If a rock you drop accelerates down
at 9.8 m/s 2 , scientists say the rock is in a 1 g environment, [1 g = 9.8 m/s 2 = 22 mph/s] .
Any time an object experiences the pull equal to the force of gravity, it is said to be in a
one g environment. We live in a 1 g environment. If a rock whose weight on the Earth is 100
lbs was moved to a 2 g environment then it would weigh 200 lbs. In a 9 g environment it
would weigh 900 lbs. In a NEGATIVE 2 g environment it would take 200 lbs to hold the rock
down on the ground. In a -5 g environment it would take 500 lbs to hold the rock down to the
ground. If the rock were put into a zero g environment then it would be weightless. However,
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by Tony Wayne

no matter what happens to its weight the rocks mass would never change. Mass
measurement is unaffected by the pull of gravity.
What does it feel like to walk in a 2 g environment? Have students find someone whos
mass is about equal to theirs. Have them give piggyback rides. As they walk around this is
what it feels like to be in a 2 g environment. Go outside on the soft ground and have the
students step up on something. This is when they will really know what a 2 g environment
feels like.
Often engineers will use gs as a force factor unit. The force factor gives a person a
way of comparing what forces feel like.
All acceleration can be converted to gs by dividing the answer, in m/s 2, by 9.8 m/s 2.

A roller coaster is propelled horizontally by a collection of linear accelerator motors.


The mass of the coaster train is 8152 kg. The train starts from rest and reaches a velocity of
26.1 m/s , 55 mph, in 3.00 seconds. The train experiences a constant acceleration. What is the
coaster trains acceleration in gs?

m = 8152 kg
vo = 0 (starts from rest)
vf = 26.1 m/s
t = 3.00 s
a=?
vf = vo + at
26.1 = 0 + a(3.00)
a = 8.70 m/s
in gs... 8.70 m/s 2 / 9.80 m/s 2 = 0.89 gs
This means the rider is being pushed back into his seat by 89% of his weight.
The rider is pushed back into the
seat by a force equal to 89 % of his
weight.

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by Tony Wayne

MATERIALS
1 plastic cup
2 skinny 4 diameter rubber bands
2 50 g masses
BACKGROUND
Cut the rubber bands. Tie the ends of each together to make a stretchy string. Tie the
weights to the opposite ends of the rubber band. Attach the middle of the rubber band to
the inside bottom of the cup. The two masses should be able to hang over the lip of the
cup.
RUBBER BAND

Normal force
exerted by the
cup on the
weight

50 g mass

CUP

Tension
in the
rubber
band
weight
(mg)

Free body diagram of


the forces acting on
the left hanging weight.

The masses are in equilibrium with the upward force of the rubber band. The force pulling up
of the rubber bands is equal to the force of gravity, [weight of the masses.] Ask the class,
What would happen if the rubber bands pulled with a force greater than the pull of gravity
on the masses? The masses would shoot upward and be pulled into the cup. To show
this, pull down on one of the masses and let go.
Now ask, What would happen if the masses could be magically shielded from the pull of
gravity? With no force stretching the rubber bands, they would sling shot into the cup.

Explain, We cannot yet shield gravity. But we can momentarily minimize its effects by
accelerating the masses, rubber band and cup down at 9.80 m/s 2, the acceleration due to
gravity. Without saying anymore, stand on a chair. Raise the apparatus with the weights
hanging out. Tell the students, When this cup is dropped everything will speed up equal
to the acceleration of gravity. What will you see when this cup is dropped?
Drop the cup after polling the students. The masses will be pulled into the cup. When
everything falls, gravity will not be pulling against the masses when compared to the
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by Tony Wayne

rubber bands pulling force. The masses are said to be weightless. It is the weight of the
mass that stretched the rubber band. If the mass is weightless, the rubber band will pull it
in.
Drop

Continue to the
ground

When everything is falling together, the pull of gravity is no longer experienced by the
rubber bands. Therefore, they pull the masses into the cup.

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by Tony Wayne

MATERIALS
1 piece of wood 8 ft X 2 X 1
8 triangles of wood 1/8 thick
2 Rubber bands
1 20 g mass
1 3 inch sharp nail
1 balloon

3 inches

3 inches
Drill 1/4 diameter
hole here. (The
balloon opening
will fit through it.)

BACKGROUND
Make a frame as shown
below.

BALLOON

16 INCHES

STEP 1
Nail it together.

STEP 2
Glue and nail the
triangles to the
outside.

STEP 3
Attach the nail to
the weight and
hang the weight
by rubber bands.

STEP 4
Insert the balloon
in the hole. Inflate
it so that it does
not touch the nail.
Tie it closed

The DEMO
With the balloon inflated, hold the frame over a pillow. Hold the frame straight out at
chest height. Ask students to predict what will happen when you release the frame. Guide
them to specifics such as where in the fall will the balloon pop. Release the frame. The
balloon will pop almost instantaneously. The balloon pops because the weighted pin
becomes weightless. The rubber bands are essentially pulling against nothing. This
means the rubber bands pull the pin up into the balloon.

Pull of the rubber


bands
Pull of gravity

Forces acting on the mass when it is at rest.

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Pull of the rubber


bands
When falling, the rubber
bands are moving down due
to the force of gravity.
this
motion negates the
pull of gravity on the hanging mass. The rubber
bands can now pull the hanging mass up -because
it is weightless in free fall

by Tony Wayne

MATERIALS
1 plastic cup
1 trash can or big bucket
1 candle flame large nail
1 large nail
- water

CUP WITH
2 HOLES

PREPARATION
Heat up the nail with the candle flame. Be careful not to burn yourself. Poke the hot
nail into opposite sides of the cup at the bottom. This will make a clean hole. Hold your
fingers over the two holes and fill the cup half full of water.
THE DEMO
Stand on a chair and briefly release your fingers from the holes. The water should
stream out the cups holes onto the floor. Ask the students, What will happen when I drop
the cup into the trash can? Listen to all their answers. Drop the cup to see whos
prediction was correct. The water will not flow out of the cup. Water flows out of the cup
when the acceleration of the cup is different from the water. When the cup is held the
water is allowed to accelerate down at 9.8 m/s 2. When the cup falls too, the cup is also
accelerating down at 9.8 m/s 2. Since there is no difference in their accelerations the water
stays in the cup.

Force holding
the cup up.

Remove the force holding the cup up


by letting go of the cup.

CUP WITH
2 HOLES

CUP WITH
2 HOLES
.

Pull of gravity

Pull of gravity

The water is accelerating down


faster than the the cup. (That is
because the cup is not accelerating
at all.)

The water is not falling down quicker


than the cup, so it stays in the cup.

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by Tony Wayne

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by Tony Wayne

One of the most basic parts of a ride is going from the top of a hill to the bottom. There are
two basics ways designs transport riders to the bottom of a hill. The first is called the
Speed Run.

vo
vo = velocity at the hills top
vf = velocity at the hills bottom
h = the height of the drop
g = the acceleration due to gravity (9.80 m/s 2)
h
vf =

vo2 +2gh

vf
A speed run is designed to give the rider the feeling of accelerating faster and faster
without the feeling of weightlessness. It simulates being in a powerful car with the
accelerator held down to the floor. It is a straight piece of track that connects a high point
to a low point.
The increase in velocity of the car comes from lost gravitational potential energy being
converted into kinetic energy. Next to a horizontal straight piece, the speed run is the
easiest piece of the track to design and analyze.
3.2 m/s

h = 64 m

Total Energy at the top = Total Energy at the bottom

ET(TOP) = ET(BOTTOM)
KE + PE = KE + PE
2
(1/ )mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2 + 0
(1/2)(3.2)2 + (9.80)(64) = (1/2)v2 + 0
632.32 = ( 1/2)v2 + 0
v = 35.56
v =36 m/s
v=?

When coasting up to a new height the calculations are the same as the example shown
above. The shape of the hill does not matter. See the Intro to Design section, step 7, for
an example of these up hill calculations.
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by Tony Wayne

One of the biggest thrills on a roller coaster is the free fall as a rider travels over a hill.
The easiest way to experience free fall is to hang from a tall height and drop to the
ground. As a person falls he experiences weightlessness. As long as a person travels in
the air like a projectile he will feel weightless.
Suppose a ball traveled off a table, horizontally, at 10 m/s . The balls path would look
like the path shown below.

BALL IN FREE FALL

Now suppose the ball traveled off the table top on a shallow angled ramp. It would
look like the one below.
The ball will take longer to descend. The ramp
applies an upward force on the ball to change its
path and thereby slow its descent. To the ball, this
upward force is registered as weight.

Where the ball


would be without
the ramp.

For this section of the trip, the ball is weightless.

For this section of the


trip, the ball feels weight.

Where the ball


would be without
the ramp.

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by Tony Wayne

A straight, speed run, drop does not match the fall of a rider over a hill.
For this section of the trip, the ball is weightless.

Not the safest of choices if the ball were a roller coaster car full of passengers.

To give riding more of a thrill, the designer needs to design the shape of the hill to match the
falling ball.

BALL IN FREE FALL

The hill is the same shape as a projectile in free fall. The roller
coaster barely makes contact with the track.

The only problem with curve above is the impact with the floor. To alleviate this
problem another curve scoops the balls as they descend. This makes the ride smooth and
survivable for the rider.

BALL IN FREE FALL

The speed at the bottom of a free fall drop is calculated the same way as the speed at the
bottom of a speed run drop. The only difference is the shape of the hill from the top to the
bottom.

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by Tony Wayne

A free fall hill shape gives a rider a weightless sensation. To give this weightless
sensation over a hill, the hill is designed to have the same shape as the path of a ball
being thrown off the top of a hill. Shape is determined by how fast the roller coaster car
travels over the hill. The faster the coaster travels over the hill the wider the hill must be.
There are two ways to apply projectile motion concepts to design the hills shape. The first
way is to calculate the coasters position as if it drove off a cliff.
The position equation is as follows.
h = the height from the top of the hill
x = is the distance away from the center of the hill
v = the velocity the roller coaster car travels over the
top of the hill.
g = the acceleration due to gravity. 9.80 m/s 2 for
answers in meters. 32.15 ft /s 2 for answers in feet.
This can be rewritten as

Velocity (v) = 10 m/s


Acceleration (g) = 9.8 m/s 2
x in meters

Velocity (v) = 20 m/s


Acceleration (g) = 9.8 m/s 2

h in meters

0.00

4.52
6.39

x in meters

h in meters

0.00

9.04

12.78

7.82

15.65

9.04

18.07

10.10

20.20

11.07

22.13

11.95

23.90

12.78

25.56

13.55

27.11

14.29

10

28.57

10

There comes a certain point on the free-fall drop where the track needs to redirect the
riders. Otherwise the riders will just plummet into the ground. This point is the transition
point from free-fall to controlled acceleration. This point is also the maximum angle of a
hill. This angle can be in virtually any range from 35 to 55.
- 27 -

by Tony Wayne

Tangent line whose slope is 50

Transition point where the slope of


the free-fall hill equals 50

This section of the track will not


follow the equation for free fall.

For the bottom section of the track, the new equation has the desired outcome of changing
the direction of the coaster from a downward motion to a purely horizontal motion. The
track will need to apply a vertical component of velocity to reduce the coasters vertical
velocity to zero. The track will also need to increase the horizontal velocity of the coaster
to the value determined from energy relationships. The velocity at the bottom of the hill is
determined from
(Kinetic Energy) + (Gravitational Potential Energy) = (Kinetic Energy)
Total mechanical
energy at the bottom

Total mechanical energy at the top

which is
(1/2)m(vT)2 + (mgh) = (1/2)m(vB)2
This simplifies to
vB =

(vT)2 + 2gh

where vB is the horizontal velocity at the bottom of the hill. The value for vB will be used in
later calculations.
Recall one of the original horizontal equations.
x = xo + (vxo )t +(1/2)(ax )t2
substituting in our expression for t yields,

x = (vxo )

vyo 2 + 2(ay )y - vyo


(ay )

) (
+

- 28 -

ax
2

vyo 2 + 2(ay )y - vyo


(ay )

by Tony Wayne

where vxo is the horizontal velocity of the coaster at the transition angle and v yo is the
vertical component of the velocity at the transition angle. ay is calculated from
vy 2 = vyo 2 + 2(ay )y
and
(ay ) =

vy 2 - vyo 2
2y

Where vy is the final vertical velocity of zero, vyo is the vertical component of the
velocity at the transition point, and y is the distance left to fall from the transition point to
the ground. The horizontal velocity is determined from a parameter decided upon by the
engineer. The engineer will want to limit the g forces experienced by the rider. This value
will be the net gs felt by the rider. These net gs are the net acceleration.

anet

ay

ax
anet 2 = ax 2 + ay 2
and
ax = anet 2 - ay 2
these values are plugged back into the original equation and x values are calculated as a
function of y.

- 29 -

by Tony Wayne

This is the beginning of the Hurler at Paramounts


Kings Dominion in Doswell Virginia. Can you tell
which hill is the free fall hill?

(Its the curved hill in front.)

- 30 -

by Tony Wayne

A person throws 2 balls. The first ball is thrown horizontally at 20 m/s. The second ball is thrown at 40 m/s. Draw as much of
each path as possible. Draw the balls position every 20 m of vertical flight. Draw a smooth line to show the curves shape.

0
20
40
60
80
100

200

300

400

Vertical
distance down
(meters)

Horizontal
Horizontal
position for
position for
the ball with
the ball with
an initial
an initial
velocity of 20 velocity of 40
m/s
m/s

40
80
120
160
200
240
280
320
360
400

- 31 -

by Tony Wayne

A person throws 2 balls. The first ball is thrown horizontally at 10 m/s. The second ball is thrown at 30 m/s. Draw as much of
each path as possible. Draw the balls position every 1 second of the flight. Draw a smooth line to show the curves shape.

0
20
40
60
80
100

200

300

400

Time
(seconds)

Vertical
Vertical
position for
position for
the ball with
the ball with
an initial
an initial
velocity of 10 velocity of 30
m/s
m/s

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

- 32 -

by Tony Wayne

A person throws 2 balls. The first ball is thrown horizontally at 20 m/s. The second ball is thrown at 40 m/s. Draw as much of
each path as possible. Draw the balls position every 20 m of vertical flight. Draw a smooth line to show the curves shape.

0
20
Velocity = 40 m/s

40
60
80
100

200

Velocity = 20 m/s

300

100

200

300
400
Horizontal Distance in meters

500

400
600

Below is a set of answers for 4 velocities.


Vertical
distance down
(meters)

Horizontal
Horizontal
Horizontal
Horizontal
position for
position for
position for
position for
the ball with
the ball with
the ball with
the ball with
an initial
an initial
an initial
an initial
velocity of 10 velocity of 20 velocity of 30 velocity of 40
m/s
m/s
m/s
m/s

40

28.6

57.1

102.4

136.6

80

40.4

80.8

121.8

162.4

120

49.5

99.0

134.8

179.8

160

57.1

114.3

144.9

193.2

200

63.9

127.8

153.2

204.3

240

70.0

140.0

160.3

213.8

280

75.6

151.2

166.6

222.2

320

80.8

161.6

172.3

229.7

360

85.7

171.4

177.4

236.6

400

90.4

180.7

182.2

242.9

- 33 -

by Tony Wayne

Ruler, marble, horizontal table


To see the effect of speed on arc shape.
Hold the end of the ruler up to three different angles. Repeatedly roll the ball down the
ruler until you can draw the path the ball takes for each height. (Make sure the marble
does not bounce when it leaves the table.) Write your data down for each trial in the data
table below.
V

L
H
D
Length of the ramp the Height where the ball Distance to the balls Average velocity along
ball rolls down.
starts
landing spot.
the table top ONLY.
(m)

(m)

(m)

(m/s)

Vavg = dist /time

Draw the path the ball takes on the grid on the next page for each ruler height.

- 34 -

by Tony Wayne

Make sure the ball does not


bounce when it leaves the
table.

RULER
1m

The drawn path represents the shape of a free fall roller coaster hill for different coaster car
velocities.

1 Which ramp angle gives the ball the greatest speed when it leaves the table?

2 What conclusions can you make about how speed over the top of a hill affects the shape
of the hill?

- 35 -

by Tony Wayne

Below are three different starting heights for a hill. For each starting height, rate the hills
shape as:
(1) Possible optimum hill. The ball will be in free fall the longest period of time and the ball
would softly be caught at the bottom.
(2)

Safe hill. The ball stays on the hill but does not remain in free fall for the maximum
amount of time.

(3) Unsafe hill. The ball will leave the track and possibly hit the other side of the track.
STARTING HEIGHT #1
STARTING HEIGHT #2
STARTING HEIGHT #3

1
2
3
- 36 -

by Tony Wayne

In this activity the student will visualize the path of a ball as it rolls over different shaped hills.
In this activity a ball will be rolled from 3 different heights over three different shaped hills.
Lay out the roller coaster simulator track on the chalk board.
Using a piece of chalk trace the path of the track and mark the starting point of the track.
Roll the ball down the track. If the ball leaves the track, trace its path with chalk. Then roll it
again to see how it compares with the drawn line.
Draw the path the ball takes on the paper. Repeat this process for every hill and every
starting position.
Starting height 1
HILL SHAPE A

Starting height 1
HILL SHAPE B

Starting height 1
HILL SHAPE C

- 37 -

by Tony Wayne

HILL SHAPE A

Starting height 2

HILL SHAPE B

Starting height 2

HILL SHAPE C

Starting height 2

- 38 -

by Tony Wayne

HILL SHAPE A
Starting height 3

HILL SHAPE B
Starting height 3

HILL SHAPE C
Starting height 3

- 39 -

by Tony Wayne

Below are three different starting heights for a hill. For each starting position rate the hills
shape as:
(1) Possible optimum hill. The ball will be in free fall the longest period of time and the ball
would softly be caught at the bottom.
(2) Safe hill. The ball stays on the hill but does not remain in free fall for the maximum
amount of time.
(3) Unsafe hill. The ball will leave the track and possibly hit the other side of the track.

Starting height 1
ROLLER COASTER
SIMULATOR

Starting height 2
Starting height 3

Hill shape C
Hill shape B
Hill shape A

1
2
3
- 40 -

by Tony Wayne

Starting height 1
Hill shape A

Starting height 2
Starting height 3

All these starting heights will


keep the marble on the track.
(Starting height 3 may not even
make it over the track.)

Starting height 1
Hill shape B

Starting height 2
Starting height 3

Starting height 1
(Off the track)
Starting heights 2 & 3

Starting height 1
Hill shape C

Starting height 2
Starting height 3

Starting height 3
Starting height 1
(Off the track)
Starting height 2
(Off the track)

- 41 -

by Tony Wayne

The ball is the highest


and will be traveling the
fastest. A fast speed means
a long flat hill.

The ball will get airborne


The ball will get airborne
over this hill.
over this hill.

The ball will make it over


The ball is the highest
the hill. The ball will not and will be traveling the
experience weightlessness fastest. A fast speed means
because the ball wants to fall a long flat hill.
quicker than the hill will allow.

The ball will make it over


the hill. The ball will not
experience weightlessness
because the ball wants to fall
quicker than the hill will allow.

The ball will get airborne


over this hill.

The ball will make it over


The ball is the highest
the hill. The ball will not and will be traveling the
experience weightlessness fastest. A fast speed means
because the ball wants to fall a long flat hill.
quicker than the hill will allow.

- 42 -

by Tony Wayne

- 43 -

by Tony Wayne

- 43 -

by Tony Wayne

The average person on the street has heard of centrifugal force. When asked, they
would describe this force as the one pushing an object to the outside of a circle. There is
only one problem with this description. There is NO FORCE pushing an object to the
outside.

For a person riding in a car while traveling in a circle, he perceives a force pushing
him to the outside of the circle. But what force is physically pushing him? It can not be
friction. Frictional forces oppose the direction of motion. It cant be a normal force1 . There
is not a surface pushing the rider to the outside. To travel in a circle, a force pointing to the
inside of the circle, or curve, is needed. The force pointing to the inside is called the
centripetal force.

To understand a source for the misconception of the direction of this force, consider what
it feels like when traveling around a corner in the back seat of a car. Everyone who has
been in this situation knows that the passenger will slide to the outside of the curve. To
understand that there is no force pushing the passenger to the outside, a change of
reference frame is needed. Move the point of view from inside the car to a location
outside, above, the car.

The normal force is the force perpendicular to a surface. The floor is exerting a normal force straight up equal
to your weight right now.
- 44 -

by Tony Wayne

Straight line motion


if no force acts on
the passenger.

To the passenger,
he is sliding
farther to the
outside of the
curve.

CURVE

But notice he is
traveling straight.
CAR
PASSENGER

THE CAR
ENTERS THE
CURVE.
FORCE TO
THE INSIDE
This is the
centripetal force.

Many people
mistake the
reaction force of
the rider on the
cars side as a
centri fical force.

3
To the passenger,
he is sliding to the
outside of the
curve.
Force to
the inside

4
To the passenger,
he is sliding
farther to the
outside of the
curve.
but notice he is
traveling straight.

Force to
the inside

- 45 -

by Tony Wayne

EARTH
SUN

Gravity supplies the centripetal force that keeps


the Earth orbiting the sun.
A BUCKET BEING SWUNG IN A CIRCLE.

The pull of the persons arm and gravity -when the


bucket is upside down- supplies the centripetal
force.

A CAR GOING
IN A CIRCLE

Friction between the tires and the road supplies the


centripetal force. If the road is banked, then gravity
will contribute to the centripetal force.

- 46 -

by Tony Wayne

POSITION #2

LOOP

POSITION #1

The normal force the track exerts supplies the


centripetal force at position #1.
The normal force the track exerts plus the pull of
gravity exerts the centripetal force at position #2
Rock twirled on a
string overhead in a
horizontal circle.

The string exerts the centripetal force on the rock.

- 47 -

by Tony Wayne

MATERIALS: 6 inches of string, fishing weight (split shot variety), small paper clip
PROCEDURE:
1
2
3
Tie the end of
the string to the
small end of the
paper clip.

Open the paper


clip up like this.

Open the lead shot.

PINCH HERE
TO OPEN
THE SHOT.

Tie a knot at the


bottom of the
string.

Pinch the shot closed.

Do not use
your teeth to
pinch the
shot closed.

WASH YOUR
HANDS NOW!!

LEAD IN SMALL
AMOUNTS IS
POISONOUS.

Hold the accelerometer by the paper clip in your hand. Move your hand to the right then to
the left. Draw the direction the accelerometer swings. Also indicate the direction of the
force as you move the accelerometer.
Move your hand to
the RIGHT.

Move your hand to


the LEFT.

Hold the accelerometer in one hand. Hold your hand outstretched and twirl around while
watching the accelerometer. Below is the circle your hand makes as viewed from overhead.
Draw which way the accelerometer swings. Also label the forces direction.

You

- 48 -

by Tony Wayne

Move your hand to


the RIGHT.

FORCE

Move your hand to


the LEFT.

FORCE

You
FORCE

- 49 -

FORCE

by Tony Wayne

MATERIALS:
Bucket of water
PROCEDURE:
Fill the bucket up 1 /4 full with water. Swing the bucket in a vertical circle. Swing it fast enough so the water
does not come out. Now slow down the swing until the water almost drops out of the bucket.
In order to keep water in the bucket when it is upside down, the water needs to be
accelerated,(pulled downwards), faster than what gravity would move the water.
The pulling force downward varies with the velocity the bucket moves. By spinning
the bucket faster, the pull downwards is greater.

In order to just barely keep water in the bucket when it is upside down, the water
needs to be accelerated, (pulled downwards), as fast as what gravity would move
it. The pulling force downward varies with the velocity the bucket moves. The
bucket needs to be twirled at a speed so that the pull equals the pull of gravity.

When the water falls out of the bucket, it is because the pull on the water is greater
than the pull on the bucket. Gravity is accelerating the water. If swung slow enough
the persons arm is resisting the fall of the bucket. Gravity moves the water out of
the bucket. By pulling harder on the bucket, the bucket will be pulled down at an
acceleration equal to or greater than what gravity produces. If the bucket is pulled
down faster than what gravity pulls, the water stays inside.

PULL OF
GRAVITY

PULL ON
BUCKET

When the pull on the bucket is greater than the


pull of gravity, the water stays in the bucket.

PULL OF
GRAVITY

PULL ON
BUCKET

When the pull on the bucket is equal to the pull of


gravity, the water just barely stays in the bucket.

PULL OF
GRAVITY

PULL ON
BUCKET

When the pull on the bucket is less than the pull


of gravity, the water falls out of the bucket.

- 50 -

by Tony Wayne

This same demo can be duplicated a couple different ways.


Plastic cups filled 1/4 full with water, strong string, wood or cafeteria service tray

Swing in this direction.


Start rocking the tray
back and forth slowly to
build up speed before
going in a complete
circle.

penny, metal coat hanger


With a file, rub the inside bottom of the
coat hanger flat. Balance a penny on the
inside of the coat hanger while hanging
the hanger on your index finger. Gently
rock the hanger back and forth before
swinging it all the way around.

INDEX
FINGER

SAND THE INSIDE FLAT HERE.


PLACE THE PENNY HERE TOO.

The coat hanger supplies the centripetal force to the inside of the circle to keep it going
in a circle.

Q. If I tie a rock onto the end of a string and swing it around my head in a horizontal circle, I
feel the rock pulling my arm to the outside. This certainly feels like a centrifical force and
not a centripetal force. What is going on here?
A. The pull the person swinging feels is the pull to the inside against the inertia of the object
spinning. Remember, in the absence of a force, a body will travel in a straight line. In order
to turn the rock, a force to the inside must be applied. According to Newtons 3rd law of
motion; for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
This
is true for anything whose motion changes from a circle to a straight line.
- 51 -

by Tony Wayne

On a well designed roller coaster loop, the riders will not be able to sense when they
are traveling upside down. This is done by making sure the force that is exerted on the
rider is at least equal to the weight of the rider.

Force of
gravity

Centripetal force
the track applies

Centripetal force applied to the track depends on the velocity of the car and inversely to the
radius. The formula is:
F = Centripetal force
m = mass of the object going in a circle
v = Objects velocity
R = Radius of circle of curve
a c = centripetal acceleration

In order to apply enough centripetal acceleration the roller coaster car has to either be
traveling very fast or the radius of the loop has to be made small. Most rides have a tall loop.
A tall loop means a big radius. The problem is, as a car goes up, it slows down. The higher it
goes, the slower it will be traveling over the top. In order to apply a centripetal force equal to
gravity, 1 g, at the top, the car must be traveling extremely fast as the rider enters the loop.
On some of the early round loops, the riders actually had their necks broken as a
combination of the sudden rise in the loop as they entered at an extremely high rate of
speed. As a compromise, the loops today are designed around an irregular shape called a
klothoid or spiral of Archimedes. These irregular loops allow a circular figure whose radius
changes.

- 52 -

by Tony Wayne

Klothoid shaped loop from the Shock Wave at


Paramounts Kings Dominion in Doswell,
Virginia.

This is the Loch Ness Monster at Busch


Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. It has
two loops that are designed from the spiral
of Archimedes. One loop is easy to identify
in the picture. Can you spot the second
loop?

RADIUS
7m
RADIUS
49 m

- 53 -

by Tony Wayne

For the advanced reader, the formula for the klothoid shape is:
t
t
sin(t) dt
cos(t) dt
x=A
y=A
t
t
0
0

Asymptotic points: ( A/2, A/2)

The formula for the Spiral of Archimedes in polar form is

r = a
where a describes the magnitude of the spiral and is the angle through which the spiral
is formed. To make a loop, the spiral will have to be mirrored horizontally.
Nothing is perfect in engineering. These designs operate under ideal circumstances. In real
life, the curves need to be tweaked into the right shape.

Sometimes it is not necessary to go into all the math to have a little fun with the
irregular loop. These loops can be simulated using the combination of semi-circles of
different radii.

Can you see the irregular loop in these regular circles?


- 54 -

by Tony Wayne

R1

R2

The radii can be anything as long as the car will


make it around. In this particular drawing the height
at the top of the loop from the very bottom is (1/2)R2
+ R1 .
If the engineer so chose, she could make the
radius at the bottom on the way in one value and
the bottom radius on the way out a different value.
Do not design a real roller coaster with this
method. The transition from different radii would be
uncomfortable for the rider and not possible for the
roller coaster train.

R2

Other loop possibilities

R2

R1
R3

R3 3R1
R2 2R1
R1
R3
R2

- 55 -

R1
R2

by Tony Wayne

- 56 -

by Tony Wayne

Imagine a passenger riding through a loop on a roller coaster. The passengers head
is towards the inside of the circle.
ROLLER
COASTER
LOOP

Her feet are to the outside of the circle. In order to keep blood in the passengers head,
a centripetal force needs to be applied to the blood to push it upwards toward the head and
the center of the circle. The heart applies the centripetal force on the blood. A passenger can
experience many gs in a loop. Recall that a g is the number of times heavier an object
becomes. A 7 g experience means that the passenger feels 7 times heavier. Everything
about the passenger becomes 7 times heavier. Her 3 pound brain now weighs 21 pounds.
Every ounce of blood becomes 7 times heavier. If the blood feels too heavy the heart cannot
apply enough force to push it towards the head. If the brain does not get any blood it will not
get the oxygen the blood carries. The passenger will pass out within a second.

You are riding a new untested roller coaster when something goes wrong. As you
enter the first big loop, a great pressure pushes you down. You slouch down in the seat from
the extra weight. Over the top of the loop the roller coaster car slows down. The extra weight
on your legs, lap, and shoulder make it impossible to sense that you are upside down. Out
of the loop, over a hill and into another loop. This loop has a smaller radius. The car is
traveling much faster now. As the g forces climb up toward 7 gs, you sink further still in the
seat. You can no longer see color. Everything appears in black and white. An instant later,
the passenger next to you disappears from view. Your field of vision is shrinking. It now looks
like you are seeing things through a pipe. The front corner of the car disappears from view as
your peripheral vision disappears. The visual pipes diameter is getting smaller and smaller.
You sink into the seat further still as the number of gs climb further. In a flash you see black.
You have just blacked out. You are unconscious until the number of gs are reduced and
the blood returns to your brain.
Amusement park owners and insurance companies dont want the previously
described situation to occur. It would limit repeat riders and the number of potential
consumers who can safely ride the coaster. Most roller coasters keep the gs felt under 5 gs
on an inside loop or the bottom of a dip after a hill. When a rider travels over a hill at a high
rate of speed, he experiences negative gs. A negative g is the multiple of a persons weight
that is needed to keep a rider in his seat. Negative gs also force the coaster car to try to come
up off the track. Negative gs are a riders heaven and a designers nightmare. Negative gs
are avoided as much as possible.
A negative g has a different effect on a rider than a positive g. Both negative and
positive gs can cause a rider to pass out. But negative gs cause a rider to red out. A red out
condition occurs when there is too much pressure on the brain caused by too much blood in
the head. The extra pressure can cause blood vessels to burst and kill the rider. This is a
sure way to limit the number of repeat riders.
- 57 -

by Tony Wayne

There is another way for a rider to experience negative gs. It is related to the length of
the train. The roller coaster track is designed for the dynamics at the center of mass of the
coaster train. Negative gs are experienced by the rider at the back of the train as he travels
over a hill. For an empty train, the center of mass is in the middle of the train.Whatever speed
is acquired by the center of the train is the speed for the entire train. After the center of a train
passes over a hill it begins to gain velocity. As the center speeds up so does the back of the
train. This means that the rear of the train will travel over the hill faster than the middle of the
train. If the rider travels over the hill faster than the designed velocity of the hill the rear car
will be whipped over the hill.
10 m/s
13 m/s

- 58 -

The rear car is traveling


over the hill at 3 m/s
faster than the center
was. If the hill is
designed for 10 m/s then
the rear train car will
have a tendency to leave
the tracks. Undercarriage wheels will hold
it to the tracks.

by Tony Wayne

SOME g DETERMINATORS:

INSIDE
LOOP

A person passes out


because
of
too
much blood creating
too much pressure
on the brain.

8g
black out
limit

OUTSIDE
LOOP

A person passes
out because of
the lack of oxygen
in the brain.

3g
red out
limit

LINEAR
ACCELERATION

20 g stress during a quick


acceleration in the direction of
motion. Bleeding would occur from
ears.

LINEAR
ACCELERATION

40 g stress during a quick


acceleration in the direction of
motion. Death at 40 gs.

- 59 -

by Tony Wayne

To calculate the gs felt, a formula from circular motion will be utilized. Since energy
relationships do not utilize time, the circular motion formula used will also not utilize time.
2
aCENTRIPETAL = v
R

gs = aCENTRIPETAL
9.8 m
s2

Where v is the velocity of the body and R is the radius of the circle traveled. To
calculate the velocity a body is traveling, use energy relationships to solve for the kinetic
energy and the associated velocity. One more thing. To calculate the gs felt remember that
the gs felt by the rider is the normal force on the seat of the rider divided by the mass then
converted into gs. As a rider enters a loop he will feel 2 forces.
Net Force
(Centripetal Force)

Normal
Force

weight
(mg)

The real number of interest is the number if gs felt by the passenger traveling in the
vertical circle. The gs felt are calculated below.
Fy = m(ac) = (Normal Force) - Weight
Fy = mv2/R = (Normal Force) - mg
(Normal Force) = mv 2/R + mg
recall that... (Normal Force)/mg = gs felt by the rider
thus...

(Normal Force)/g = mv2/R/mg + mg/mg

at the bottom

- 60 -

by Tony Wayne

ABOVE the horizontal

gs FELT = gs sin()
gs FELT = gs +
sin()

ZERO degrees
(Horizontal)
All angles are measured
to the horizontal axis

BELOW the horizontal

SPECIAL CASE (SHORT CUT)


ABOVE the horizontal

gs FELT = gs - 1
ZERO degrees
(Horizontal)

gs FELT = gs + 1

All angles are measured


to the horizontal axis

BELOW the horizontal

These results can be interpreted easily. As a rider enters the loop, the track has to
exert a normal force upwards to supply the necessary centripetal force and acceleration to
make the rider travel in a circle. But because the loop is vertical and the rider is at the
bottom the normal force not only has to supply the centripetal force but must also overcome
the pull of gravity. Thats why 1 g is added in the equation. At the top of the loop, 1 g is
subtracted from what is felt because the pull of gravity is helping the normal force exerted
by the track instead of needing to be overcome.

- 61 -

by Tony Wayne

In a roller coaster ride a rider travels as shown to


the right. How many gs will the rider feel at the top of
the loop?

30 m/s2

10 m

SOLUTION
To calculate the gs at the top of the loop, you will need to know the velocity of
the rider there. To find velocity, use kinetic energy.
ET-TOP = EK + Ug
ET-TOP = ET-BOTTOM
EK + Ug = EK + 0
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
10 m
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2
45
30 m/s2
(1/2)v2 + (9.8)17.07106 = ( 1/2)(30) 2
(1/2)v2 + 167.2964 = ( 1/2)30 2
282.7036 = (1/2)v2
0
565.4072 = v2
v = 23.7783 m/ s
ET-BOTTOM = EK + Ug
2

aCENTRIPETAL = (23.7783 m/s)


10

gs =

= 565.4076 = 56.5408 m/s 2


10

56.5408 m/s 2
= 5.77 gs
9.8 m/s 2

gs FELT = 5.77-1 = 4.77 gs felt


The rider will not pass out because 4.77 is less than 8 gs.

- 62 -

by Tony Wayne

EXAMPLE 2
In a roller coaster ride a rider travels as shown to
the right. How many gs will the rider feel at this
location of the loop?

SOLUTION
height of the roller coaster car;
h = radius + x
h = 10 + 10 sin45
h = 10 + 7.07107
h = 17.07107 m

10 m
30 m/s2

10 m

45

x = 10 sin45

45
10 m

ET-TOP = EK + Ug
ET-TOP = ET-BOTTOM
EK + Ug = EK + 0
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2
(1/2)v2 + (9.8)17.0711 = ( 1/2)(30) 2
(1/2)v2 + 167.30 = (1/2)30 2
282.703 = ( 1/2)v2
565.406 = v 2
v = 23.778 m/ s

aCENTRIPETAL = (23.778 m/s)

10 m

=10 sin 45 +10


=17.07107 m

0
ET-BOTTOM = EK + Ug
2

10

gs =

45

30 m/s2

56.541 m/s 2
9.8 m/s 2

565.406
10

= 56.541 m/s 2

= 5.77 gs

gs FELT = 5.77 - sin45 = 5.01 gs


felt
The rider will not pass out because 5.01 is less than 8 gs.

- 63 -

by Tony Wayne

The simple loop is easy enough to calculate. The irregular shaped loop needs a little
more work. The velocity as the car enters the loop should be known. First establish the gs felt
at the bottom. Subtract one g to know what the track exerts. Then convert these gs to m/s 2.
Now solve for the radius.
EXAMPLE

35 m/s

R=?

STEP 1
(Im randomly choosing 6 gs as the limit for the rider)
Therefore the centripetal acceleration of the track is 6g - 1g = 5gs.
STEP 2
(convert these gs to m/s 2)
g
(5g)
m 2
9.80 m/s 2 = 49 /s
STEP 3
a = v2
R
49 m/s 2 = 352
R
R = 25 m

Now to calculate what the rider feels at the top of the loop.
Decide on the height of the loop. Then decide how many gs the rider will experience.
Use the loop formulae with centripetal acceleration to calculate the radius.

R=?
h = 20 m
35 m/s

R = 25

STEP 4
The top of the loop will be at 25 m. (Chosen pretty much at random.)
STEP 5
Im randomly choosing 6 gs again as the limit for the rider. It could be almost any
number.
At the top of the loop add 1 g for the centripetal force. (Add because the
rider is upside down.)
6gs + 1 g = 7g
STEP 6
convert g to m/s 2
- 64 -

by Tony Wayne

(7g)

(9.80g / ) = 68.6
m s2

m/s 2

STEP 7
(1/ 2)(m)(35)2 = (1/ 2)(m)vo2 +(m)(9.80 m/ s 2)(20 m)
The ms divide out.
(1/ 2)(35)2 = (1/ 2)vo2 +(9.80 m/ s 2)(20 m)
vo = 28.86 m/ s
STEP 8
Calculate the radius at the top
a = v2
R
68.6 m/s 2 = 28.86 2
R
R = 12.14 m
FINAL ANSWER

R = 12.14 m
h = 20 m
35 m/s

R = 25

In reality, a person will not pass out the instant he/she reaches 8 gs. It will take
a few seconds of being at 8 gs for the person to pass out. But for the sake of easy
calculations we will assume that the instant 8 gs is reached a person will pass out. 8
gs is an average. peaple generally pasout between 6 to 10 gs. (FYI: The 40 g mark
mentioned earlier is instantaneous for death.)

- 65 -

by Tony Wayne

(1/ 2)R

h
R

2R

V=?

What must the velocity of the car be at the top of the circular loop such that the rider
FEELS weightless at the top of the first loop?

What must the velocity of the car be at the bottom of the circular loop such that the rider
FEELS weightless at the top of the first loop?

How many gs does the rider feel as he enters the circular loop, at the bottom?

How fast is the rider traveling when he enters the irregular loop?

How many gs does the rider feel as he enters the irregular loop?

How fast is the rider traveling at the top of the irregular loop?

How many gs does the rider feel at the top of the irregular loop?

How fast must the car be traveling at the top of the klothoid loop if the rider is to
experience 2.00 gs?

How fast would the rider be traveling as she enters the irregular loop?

10 How many gs does the rider feel as she enters the irregular loop?
11 How many gs does the rider feel as she enters the circular loop?
12 How many gs does the rider feel as she passes over the top of the circular loop?
1
5
9
12

15.65 m/s
2 35.00 m/s
3 6 gs
3.5 gs
6 16.65 m/s
7 1.00 gs
36.71 m/s
10 3.75 gs felt
11 6.50 gs felt
0.50 gs (He feels like he might fall out of his seat.)

- 66 -

4
8

35 m/s
19.17 m/s

by Tony Wayne

The activity on the following page is good for a quick introduction to loop design. It is
appropriate for students who lacks the necessary math skills. It could also be used as a quick
overview to loop design.
The first page is to be used as a reference. The second page is where the calculations are
done on a spreadsheet.

- 67 -

by Tony Wayne

This diagram is to be used in conjunction with the spreadsheet below and the questions on the
following page.
Irregular loop

Circular loop
The radius is constant

The radius changes. Usually


bigger at the bottom than the top.

The coaster comes to


a rest at the top.

The ride starts


from rest.

The dropped weight


propels the coaster.

Below is the spreadsheet and its formulae for the Investigating the Loop Using a
Spreadsheet handout. The text on the left hand side is in the B column. The B column is
right justified.
A
1

weight's mass (kg):

weight's drop height (m):

4
5

Train's Acceleration (g's): =(C2/(C3+C2))


Velocity at "A" (m/s): =SQRT(2*C4*9.8*C3)

Velocity at "B" (m/s): =C5

Radius of 1st loop (m):

8
9
10
11

g's felt at "B": =(C6*C6/C7)/9.8+1


Height at "C" (m): =C7*2
Velocity at "C" (m/s): =SQRT(C6*C6-(2*9.8*C9))
g's felt at "C" =(C10*C10/C7)/9.8-1

12

Velocity at "D" (m/s): =C5

13

Radius at "D" (m):

14
15
16
17
18
19

train's mass (kg):

g's felt at "D": =(C12*C12/C13)/9.8-1


Radius at "E" (m):
Height at "E" (m):
Velocity at "E" (m/s): =SQRT(C6*C6-(2*9.8*C16))
g's felt at "E": =(C17*C17/C15)/9.8+1
Height to "G" (m): =C12*C12/19.6

- 68 -

by Tony Wayne

A 5500 kg coaster train is propelled by a 120,000 kg weight that is dropped 20.0 m to the
ground. The first loop has a radius of 25 m.
a) How many gs are felt by the rider as he enters the first loop?
b) How fast is the rider traveling as he travels over the top of the first loop?
c) How many gs are felt by the rider as he travels over the top of the first loop?
d) Make the radius at the bottom of the irregular loop 25 m. What must the radius at the
top of the second loop be if its height is 42 meters?
A 5500 kg coaster train is propelled by a 91,000 kg weight that is dropped 25.0 m to the
ground.
a) What must the radius of the first loop be so that a rider feels 2 gs as she enters the
loop?
b) What must the radius of the second loop be so that a rider feels 2 gs as she enters
the loop?
c) How high and what radius must the irregular loop be so that a rider feels the same
gs at the top and bottom?
Design a roller coaster where the rider feels 2.9 to 3.1 gs at every acceleration except at
the top of the first loop. Enter your numbers at the appropriate locations on the diagram
below.

Irregular loop

Circular loop

The radius changes. Usually


bigger at the bottom than the top.

The radius is constant

The coaster comes to


a rest at the top.

The ride starts


from rest.

The dropped weight


propels the coaster.

In terms of gs felt by a rider, what are the benefits of using an irregular loop versus a
circular loop?

- 69 -

by Tony Wayne

- 70 -

by Tony Wayne

DEMO
Materials: Meter stick, C-clamp
Procedure
Hold the meter stick horizontally between two fingers. Slowly slide your hands
together. For a real challenge, close your eyes when sliding your hands together. Your
hands will always meet under the center of mass.
METER STICK
Slowly slide hands together

ROTATE HANDS
Location of the
Center of
Mass

Attach a c-clamp at one end of the meter stick. Redo the demonstration. Your fingers
will still meet under the center of mass.
PART 2 of the DEMO

Location of the Center of


Mass

- 71 -

by Tony Wayne

The center of mass of a train would be in the center of the train. This is assuming all the riders
are of the same mass. The feeling a track is designed for is engineered around the center of
mass of a train. A rider gets a different feeling if she is to ride some distance away from the
center of mass.

A hill is designed for a specific velocity. The design velocity is chosen such that the rider
located at the trains center of mass will, at most, feel weightless. The hills shape determines
the design velocity. This shape also dictates a specific velocity at each part of the hill.
These cars, in the back, are
slowing down too quickly. Their
riders feel held back as they
approach the hill.

These cars, in the front, are


traveling faster than the design
velocity for the hills peak. These
riders feel pushed over the hill.

THE CM OF THE TRAIN


IS TRAVELING AT JUST
THE RIGHT VELOCITY
FOR THIS HILL.

The cars in back are traveling


too slow for their position on
the hill. The riders feel held
back. They feel like they are
hanging on the hill.

The cars in front are traveling


too slow for their position on
the hill. The riders feel held
back. They feel like they are
hanging on the hill.
THE CM OF THE TRAIN
IS TRAVELING AT JUST
THE RIGHT VELOCITY
FOR THIS HILL.

The cars in back are traveling


faster than the hills design
velocity. The riders feel
whipped out of their seat
prematurely due to the
negative gs. The shoulder or
lap harness is holding the rider
in place.

THE CM OF THE TRAIN


IS TRAVELING AT JUST
THE RIGHT VELOCITY
FOR THIS HILL.

The cars in front are


traveling too slow for
their position on the hill.
The riders feel less of a
weightless sensation.

This can be demonstrated by using the HotWheels train. (Construction of the


HotWheels train is described on page 81.) Set up a box with a track running horizontally
over the top. Slowly roll the train over the hill. As the front of the train begins to pass over the
hill it will not speed up until the middle, center of mass of the train, travels over the hill.

- 72 -

by Tony Wayne

- 73 -

by Tony Wayne

A horizontal curve is a curve that does not rise or fall. There are two type of curves, flat
curves and banked curves.

A flat curve gives a rider the sensation of being thrown sideways. If the roller coaster
cars velocity is fast enough and the radius small enough, the stresses on the cars under
carriage can be tremendous. For a flat curve the inward net acceleration felt by the rider is
calculated from the equation.

Where a is the acceleration felt by the rider to the inside of the circle, v is the velocity of the
car and R is the radius of the curve. This acceleration can be converted to gs by dividing it
by 9.80 m/s 2.

A banked curve reduces the riders sensation of being thrown sideways by turning the
car sideways. The car is tilted. The trick is to tilt the track just the right amount.
The ideal banked curve is one where no outside forces are needed to keep the car on
the track. In other words, if the banked curve were covered with ice -no friction- and the
coaster did not have a steering mechanism the car would stay on the track. These are the
forces acting on the car as the car travels around horizontal banked curves.

Coaster cars free body


diagram as viewed from
the rear on the curve.

= Normal force
of the track
This diagram yields the following
relationships

cos()
Net Force = mv2
r

No friction

Fx = mv2 /r = cos()

weight = mg

Fy = 0 = sin() - mg

therefore
- 74 -

by Tony Wayne

from Fx

from Fy

mg
sin()

g
sin()

mg
sin()

mv2
(R)cos()

v2
(R)cos()

R=

R=

mv2
(R)cos()

v2 sin()
gcos()

v2 tan()
g

This is for the ideal banked curve where no friction is required to keep the car from
sliding to the outside or inside of the curve. On a given curve if the velocity is greater or less
than the design velocity then the cars may need a little frictional help to keep them on the
track.
If your not comfortable with trigonometry functions, the equations can be rewritten and used
as shown below.

y
x
The draw back to this method is in measuring the lengths of x and y.

Recall that the gs felt is equal to the normal force divided by mass and then divided by g to
convert to from m/s 2 to gs.
from Fy

mg
sin()

... from the above derivation.


- 75 -

by Tony Wayne

gs felt

gs felt =

mg
sin()mg

1
sin()

Remember this is for the ideal banked curve with no friction.

HIGH SPEED BANK

MEDIUM SPEED BANK

Too much bank for the cars


velocity. the car could tip to the
inside. The undercarriage wheels
are holding the car on. The rider
fells a force pushing himself
down. Friction is needed to keep
the car on the track.

At just the right bank for the cars


velocity, the car does not need
any type of undercarriage to stay
on the track. The rider feels a
force pushing his bottom into the
seat. This is the optimum position
where no friction is needed to
keep the car on the track.

- 76 -

LOW SPEED BANK

Not enough bank for the cars


velocity. The car could tip to the
outside.
The
undercarriage
wheels are holding the car on.
The rider fells a force pushing
himself to the outside of the
curve -sideways. Friction is
needed to keep the car on the
track.

by Tony Wayne

What must the curves angle be for a roller coaster car to travel around a curve of radius
30 m at 20 m/s ?

How many gs are felt by a rider as he travels around the banked curve in the previous
problem?

A car is to make it around a banked curve. The radius is 15.35 m and the car will travel at
30 m/s . What is the optimum banking angle of the curve?

A car is to make it around a banked curve. The radius is 15.35 m and the car will travel at
30 m/s . This roller coaster is on the moon where the acceleration due to gravity is 1.67
m/s2 . What is the optimum banking angle of the curve?

A rider is to make it around a curve of radius of 24.28 m so that the rider will feel 2.50 gs.
What is the angle of the banked curve?

A rider is to make it around a curve of radius of 31.15 m so that the rider will feel 1.64 gs.
How fast must the rider be traveling?

A rider is to make it around a curve of radius of 51.15 m so that the rider will feel 4.52 gs.
How fast must the rider be traveling?

10 m
1.5 gs felt on the top curve

18.43 m/s
R=?
On the top curve

R = 20 m
On the bottom curve

What is the banked angle of the bottom curve?

How many gs are felt by the rider along the bottom curve?

10 What is the optimum angle of the top banked curve after spiraling up 10 m?
11 What is the radius of the top curve?

53.68

66.42

2.000 gs

2 1.69 gs
6 19.92 m/s (52.69)
10 48.19

3 80.51
7 47.01 m/s (77.22)

4
8

88.37

60.01
m
11 13.11m (11.99 /s at the top)

- 78 -

by Tony Wayne

This is a demo that mounts on a blackboard that is magnetic. This demo will allow the
teacher to demonstrate Galileos inertia experiment and how and why the hills on roller
coasters are designed the way they are. When it is built, it will be an adjustable rail road type
track.
Materials:
12 feet of vinyl tubing with an outside diameter of 1/4 inch. Some larger hardware stores
sell the tubing. (20 per foot)
18- 11/8 inch diameter magnets from Radio Shack.
MAGNET
37 1/2 inches of dowel rod 3/8 inches in diameter .
1 small tube of contact cement
1 tube of Household GOOP or any other adhesive that will glue vinyl. (Epoxy will not
work.)
STEP 1
Cut the dowel rod into 20 pieces 17/8 inches long. Cut a 1/4
deep slit into one end of each dowel rod. The slit should be
1 7/8 inches
about 1/16 inch wide. A band saw is a good tool for doing
this.

STEP 2
Insert the slit end of each dowel into a magnet.
STEP 3
Cut some wood into 1/4 X 1/4 X 11/2 RECTANGLES. These will be used as spacers. Mark
the tubing every 4 inches with a permanent marker. Place the magnets on the board in a
straight line 4 inches apart from each other.
4

STEP 4
Put some contact cement on the top side of each dowel rod. Put some more contact cement
on the vinyl tubing at each mark. With another persons help, lay the tubing against the
magnets on top of the dowel. When you have laid out 18 magnets, 6 feet, stop. Cut the
tubing. Lay the other piece of tubing 1/4 inch away from the first piece. Use the cut wood as
a spacer between the vinyl tubing. It should look like rail road tracks when you are done
SIDE VIEW

OVERHEAD VIEW

STEP 5
Final step. The tracks glue joints are weak. Reinforce them with GOOP on the underside.
Be sure not to get any glue on top of the tubing. A little piece of glue on top of the tubing will
cause the marble to roll off it.
- 79 -

by Tony Wayne

Marble STARTS here

Adjust the ramp to lower angles. The marble


keeps rolling to the same height. Galileo
concluded from a similar experiment that the
ball will keep rolling until it reaches the same
height it started from if there were no
friction. (With friction, it will keep rolling until
it reaches the stop height.)

Marble STOPS here

Marble STARTS here

Marble STOP
height

Adjust the ramp to different loop radii. Notice


if the loops radius is too big, the marble falls
off. Try adjusting the radius until the ball
makes it around the loop.

Marble STARTS here


Adjust the ramp to different hill shapes. Drop the
marble from the same height each time. Keep adjusting
the hills shape until the marble no longer leaves the
track. This is the desired hill shape for that start
height. After all, if the roller coaster left the tracks
each time, the company would lose its customers. (Try
a lower start height and see how the hill shape would
change.)

Marble STOP height

Marble STARTS here


Adjust the ramp to make a gradual climb on the left
side and steep drop on the right. Trace the path the
bottom of the ball makes as it leaves the track. Line
the track up with the traced curve. The ball will stay on
the track. A coasters hills are designed to give the
rider the weightless feeling they would get if the track
were not there.

Marble STOP height

Marble STARTS here

PRACTICE SPEED ESTIMATION


Each support is 4 inches apart. To estimate the velocity at
the bottom of this curve, count an equal number of supports
on each side of the dips center. Calculate this distance.
Time how long the ball takes to travel the distance. Calculate
the average speed, (distance/time). The average will equal
the exact speed at the center of the dip -but only if (1) the
distance measured is equal on both sides of the dips center
and (2) the region measured is fairly symmetrical in shape.

20 inches
along track.

- 80 -

by Tony Wayne

Hot Wheels is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc.


- 81 -

by Tony Wayne

5 -Hot Wheels cars. (Use cars with a short front to back wheel base.)
24 inches -Kevlar. (This can be found in most fishing goods departments of larger stores with
the fishing line.)
30 minute Epoxy
1 Lay the cars upside down about 1/2 inch apart from each other.

1/2 inch
apart

2 Lay the Kevlar from front to back on the row of cars. Tape the Kevlar in place with masking
tape. Tape to the center of the car.
KEVLAR

TAPE

3 Mix and apply the epoxy over the Kevlar and at each cars rivet. The cars have two rivets
on the undercarriage. Let dry for at least 30 minutes. If the epoxy mix is not right, the cars
may have to dry longer.
EPOXY HERE

4 To aide in seeing the center of mass of the train of cars, paint the middle car. It is located at
the center of mass.
Hot Wheels is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc.

- 82 -

by Tony Wayne

- 83 -

by Tony Wayne

Stand on the edge of a cliff and throw a ball horizontally. It would travel as shown below.
10 m/s
10 m/s
10 m/s

ROLLER
COASTER
TRACK

The roller coaster track is designed to


have the same arc shape as a ball that
is thrown off a cliff.

This is the path an object would take if


it were weightless.

Because the two paths are the same, it stands to reason that the roller coaster car would also
be weightless as it travels down the hill.
Hold a large piece of plywood at a 60 angle to the floor. Roll a WET tennis ball
horizontally across the top of the board. Look at the water trail it left behind. Roll a WET
tennis ball FASTER horizontally across the top of the board. Look at the new water trail it left
behind.
Draw the results below.
SLOW BALLS PATH

FAST BALLS PATH

- 84 -

by Tony Wayne

Materials: HotWheels Track, Hot Wheels car


Rest the top of the track on the edge of the counter. Make the tracks contact point with the
ground 40 cm away from the edge on the floor. Using books:
1 . Create a hill that when the car travels over it, the car becomes airborne on the far side.
Write down the measurements shown below.

H
40 cm

Distance A: _________meters
Distance H _________meters
2 . Create a hill that when the car travels over it, the car barely becomes airborne on the far
side and it still lands on the track on the way down. Write down the measurements shown
below.

H
40 cm

Distance A: _________meters
Distance H _________meters

- 85 -

by Tony Wayne

3 . Create a hill that when the car travels over it, the car never becomes airborne on the far
side. Write down the measurements shown below.

H
40 cm

Distance A: _________meters
Distance H _________meters
4 . Will the car come off the far side of the track shown below? Why?

Straight piece laid on a


meter stick for support.

10 cm
40 cm

Distance A: _________meters

Over which hill will the car most likely come off the track? Why?

- 86 -

by Tony Wayne

Materials: HotWheels Track, Hot Wheels car, meter stick


Construct a loop in the shape of a klothoid. The klothoid shape is like an upside down tear
drop.
Vertical loop height is 15 cm

Vertical distance to the


starting height (meters)

Vertical loop
height
Klothoid Loop

Start the car at various heights. Determine the starting height in which the car just makes it
around the loop without falling off the track. This height is ___________m.
Vertical loop height is 15 cm

Start the car from the same


height as from the previous
klothoid loop shape.

Vertical loop
height
Circular Loop

Does the car make it around the circular loop from the same height as before? ______ If the
car falls off the track, draw an arrow on the circular loop to indicate where this happens.
What is the minimum height the car needs to be started from to just make it around the
circular loop?
________________________m.
Why are loops on most roller coaster rides klothoid shaped instead of circular?

- 87 -

by Tony Wayne

In order to feel weight there must be a reaction force.

Reaction force of
the floor. This
reaction force is the
same as the weight
Force due to the pull
of gravity, called
weight.

If you jump out of a window, you would feel weightless because there is no reaction force
pushing up on your feet.

cup (with holes), water, chair, paper towels, trash can


Poke two holes on opposite sides of the bottom of the cup. Stand in a chair. Hold the cup with
your fingers over the holes. Fill the cup 1/3 full with water. Hold the cup with your other hand.
Briefly remove your fingers from the holes. Observe what happens. Cover the holes again
with your fingers. Hold the cup up as high as possible. Drop the cup and observe what
happens to the water this time.
Why doesnt the water come out of the holes when it is dropped?

When on the roller coaster below do you think you are weightless?
Start of the ride

- 88 -

by Tony Wayne

Swing the apparatus around with a super ball in the cup.


Swing it just slow enough so the
ball does not fall out.
Hold here

Hold here

Use either apparatus

Take whatever measurements you need to calculate the centripetal acceleration of the ball
in the cup. ____________.

How many gs is this? _________gs.

- 89 -

by Tony Wayne

Mark a starting point and walk 10 steps. Walk naturally. Measure this distance. Calculate
the distance traveled for each of your steps.
Distance = _________
Step
Using the previous information and Two Angle Method, calculate the height of the edge
of the school building.
Building edge height ___________.

In the classroom is a HotWheels set up. On this set up, measure the velocity of the
HotWheelsTM train as it passes over the second hill. The length of the train is the distance
used to calculate the average velocity. The time measured is the time for the entire train to
pass one point on the center of the hill.Treat this as a normal lab and repeat the process a
number of times and take the average of the trials.
HotWheels train
Calculate the velocity
of the train here.

HotWheels track

HotWheels train velocity: _____________


The train is heavier than a single car. When the train is in motion, it will cause the
track to slide around. Hold the track down firmly to prevent accidents.

- 90 -

by Tony Wayne

- 91 -

by Tony Wayne

CAR LENGTH

START TIMING WHEN THE


FRONT
OF
THE
CAR
PASSES A POINT. STOP
TIMING WHEN THE END OF
THE CAR PASSES THE
POINT.

EXAMPLE
There are 20 supports between
locations 1 and 2. Each support is
1.5 meters apart.
It takes 1.5
seconds to travel from location 1 to
2.
Velocity = 20(1.5) = 30 = 20 m/ s
1.5
1.5

CAR LENGTH

START TIMING WHEN THE


FRONT
OF
THE
CAR
PASSES A POINT. STOP
TIMING WHEN THE END OF
THE CAR PASSES THE
POINT.

EXAMPLE
There are 20 supports between
locations 1 and 2. Each support is
1.5 meters apart.
It takes 1.5
seconds to travel from location 1 to
2.
Velocity = 20(1.5) = 30 = 20 m/ s
1.5
1.5

CAR LENGTH

START TIMING WHEN THE


FRONT
OF
THE
CAR
PASSES A POINT. STOP
TIMING WHEN THE END OF
THE CAR PASSES THE
POINT.

EXAMPLE
There are 20 supports between
locations 1 and 2. Each support is
1.5 meters apart.
It takes 1.5
seconds to travel from location 1 to
2.
Velocity = 20(1.5) = 30 = 20 m/ s
1.5
1.5

CAR LENGTH

START TIMING WHEN THE


FRONT
OF
THE
CAR
PASSES A POINT. STOP
TIMING WHEN THE END OF
THE CAR PASSES THE
POINT.

EXAMPLE
There are 20 supports between
locations 1 and 2. Each support is
1.5 meters apart.
It takes 1.5
seconds to travel from location 1 to
2.
Velocity = 20(1.5) = 30 = 20 m/ s
1.5
1.5

- 92 -

TIME THE DISTANCE FROM


POINT 1 TO POINT 2.
THE POINTS MUST BE THE SAME
DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER. THE
CURVES SHAPEMUST BE THE SAME
ON BOTH SIDES. ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE
TRAVELED
BY
COUNTING
THE
STEEL
SUPPORTS & ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THEM.

TIME THE DISTANCE FROM


POINT 1 TO POINT 2.
THE POINTS MUST BE THE SAME
DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER. THE
CURVES SHAPEMUST BE THE SAME
ON BOTH SIDES. ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE
TRAVELED
BY
COUNTING
THE
STEEL
SUPPORTS & ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THEM.

TIME THE DISTANCE FROM


POINT 1 TO POINT 2.
THE POINTS MUST BE THE SAME
DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER. THE
CURVES SHAPEMUST BE THE SAME
ON BOTH SIDES. ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE
TRAVELED
BY
COUNTING
THE
STEEL
SUPPORTS & ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THEM.

TIME THE DISTANCE FROM


POINT 1 TO POINT 2.
THE POINTS MUST BE THE SAME
DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER. THE
CURVES SHAPEMUST BE THE SAME
ON BOTH SIDES. ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE
TRAVELED
BY
COUNTING
THE
STEEL
SUPPORTS & ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THEM.

by Tony Wayne

x = xo + vot + (1/2)at2
v = vo + at
v2 = vo2 +2ax
v+vo
vavg =
=x
2
t
F= ma
p = mv

x = xo + vot + (1/2)at2
v = vo + at
v2 = vo2 +2ax
v+vo
vavg =
=x
2
t
F= ma
p = mv

x = xo + vot + (1/2)at2
v = vo + at
v2 = vo2 +2ax
v+vo
vavg =
=x
2
t
F= ma
p = mv

x = xo + vot + (1/2)at2
v = vo + at
v2 = vo2 +2ax
v+vo
vavg =
=x
2
t
F= ma
p = mv

EK = (1/2)mv2
Ug = mgh
Us = (1/2)kx2
W = Fdd
ETOTAL = EK + Ug + Us
P = W/t
P = Fv

T = 2 L
g
T = 2 m
k

EK = (1/2)mv2
Ug = mgh
Us = (1/2)kx2
W = Fdd
ETOTAL = EK + Ug + Us
P = W/t
P = Fv

T = 2 L
g
T = 2 m
k

EK = (1/2)mv2
Ug = mgh
Us = (1/2)kx2
W = Fdd
ETOTAL = EK + Ug + Us
P = W/t
P = Fv

T = 2 L
g
T = 2 m
k

EK = (1/2)mv2
Ug = mgh
Us = (1/2)kx2
W = Fdd
ETOTAL = EK + Ug + Us
P = W/t
P = Fv

T = 2 L
g
T = 2 m
k

m/s 2

g =9.80
g = 32.15 ft /s 2

m/s 2

g =9.80
g = 32.15 ft /s 2

g =9.80 m/s 2
g = 32.15 ft /s 2

g =9.80 m/s 2
g = 32.15 ft /s 2

- 93 -

Estimate this distance and


count support structure up
for the height and width.
If this structure is 10 ft
high, then the right
support is 5 x 10ft = 50 ft
high.

Estimate this distance and


count support structure up
for the height and width.
If this structure is 10 ft
high, then the right
support is 5 x 10ft = 50 ft
high.

Estimate this distance and


count support structure up
for the height and width.
If this structure is 10 ft
high, then the right
support is 5 x 10ft = 50 ft
high.

Estimate this distance and


count support structure up
for the height and width.
If this structure is 10 ft
high, then the right
support is 5 x 10ft = 50 ft
high.

by Tony Wayne

This is good method to use when you are on flat, level, ground and you know the distance
from where you are standing to the edge of the object whose height you are trying to
calculate.

h=?

tan() =

b=

h
b

h
tan()

Drinking Straw

Protractor

Look at the point of interest through


the drinking straw. Read the angle.

Angle

String
Washer
- 94 -

by Tony Wayne

This is a good method when you do not know the distance between you and the structure. All
you will need to do is take two angle measurements of the structure and measure the
distance between the measurements as shown in the diagram below.

h=?

a
b

tan() =
b=

h
b

tan( ) =

h
tan()

a=

h
a

h
tan( )

d=b-a
d=

h
tan()

h
tan( )

d=

1
tan()

1
h
tan( )

d=

1
tan()

1
h
tan( )

h = d[tan() - tan( )]

- 95 -

by Tony Wayne

Average velocity equals distance over time.


The distance measurement comes from the train of cars. While in the loading station,
measure the length of the train. This can be done quickly by measureing from the back of one
train car to the back of the adjacent train car.

Measure the distance from the back of one train


car to the back of an adjacent train car.

Then multiply this distance by the number of cars in the train.

Time how long it takes for the front and the back of the train to pass the same point on the
tracks. Pick a point that is in the very top of a hill or the very bottom of a dip.

Vaverage =

length of train
time to pass one location
- 96 -

by Tony Wayne

Average velocity equals distance over time.


The distance measurement comes from a known length of track. Most tracks are constructed
from track cross ties that are some equal distance apart from each other. Either get this
distance form the park, measure or estimate it.

Measure or estimate this length. Use these cross


tie supports and their distance as a measuring stick
on the track.
Time how long it takes for the middle of the train to pass across all 10 sections. You may use
any number of track sections so long as there are an equal number on each side and shape
of the track is fairly symmetrical about the middle section of the track.

5 sections
of track

5 sections
of track

Cross tie supports above


this dotted line are not
symmetrical about the
center of the dip.

- 97 -

by Tony Wayne

Vaverage = length of distance travled


time to cover this length

- 98 -

by Tony Wayne

You are a secret agent from a competing amusement park. Your task is to take a roller coaster
and find out EVERYTHING you can about the roller coaster.
Group Members

PART 1 Most roller coasters wrap themselves in a circle. Draw a SCALE drawing of your
roller coasters first 5 peaks and dips if you could straighten it out. (You do not have to use all
the horizontal length of this graphing space -the numbers are just for reference.)

START

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

- 99 -

by Tony Wayne

Label each hills peak as a letter, A - E on your scale drawing. You do not have to use
every letter. Note, the top of a loop counts as a hill peak.
Label each dip as a number, 1 - 5 on your scale drawing. You do not have to use every
number. Note, each time the roller coaster is at the bottom of a loop counts as a different dip.

PART 2 Calculate the height at each peak.


PEAKS
A
B
C
D
PART 3 Calculate the velocity at each letter and number.
PEAKS
A
B
C
D
DIPS
1
2
3
4

E
5

PART 4 Someone in your group needs to ride the roller coaster. Measure the gs at the first 4
dips and hills. Note which part of the car you are riding in at the time of the measurement.
gs
Number of rows of seats from the front (middle is best)
1
2
3
4
PART 5 Measure the gs at the first 2 dips and the first 2 peaks after the initial hill from the back,
middle and front of the train.
For each location indicate how many seats from the front you are riding.
Location
BACK gs
MIDDLE gs FRONT gs
A
B
1
2
PART 6 Using the velocity and acceleration for each dip, calculate the radius of curvature for
the first 4 dips.
1
2
3

PART 7 What is the average velocity for the entire ride?


PART 8 Excluding the time it takes for the roller coaster to travel up the first hill, estimate the
length of the remaining track, measure the time it takes for the train to travel this length and
calculate the average velocity for this section of track.
Length:
Time:
Average Velocity:
PART 9 Estimate the height of the first DROP.
PART 10 Use your estimated numbers and any other numbers you need to measure and/or
calculate to calculate the height of the first drop using conservation of energy methods.
Height from energy relationships:

- 100 -

by Tony Wayne

You are a secret agent from a competing amusement park. You task is to take a roller coaster and
find out EVERYTHING you can about the roller coaster.
Group Members

PART 1 Most roller coasters wrap themselves in a circle. Draw a SCALE drawing of your roller
coasters first 5 peaks and dips if you could straighten it out. (You do not have to use all the
horizontal length of this graphing space -the numbers are just for reference.)

START

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

- 101 -

by Tony Wayne

Label each hills peak as a letter, A - E on your scale drawing. You do not have to use
every letter. Note, the top of a loop counts as a hill peak.
Label each dip as a number, 1 - 5 on your scale drawing. You do not have to use every
number. Note, each time the roller coaster is at the bottom of the loop counts as a different dip.
PART 2 Calculate the height at each peak.
PEAKS
A
B
C
D
PART 3 Calculate the velocity at each letter and number.
PEAKS
A
B
1
2

PACES

METERS

PART 4 How long is the length of the train of roller coaster cars.
How many cars make up the train?
How many rows of seats are in the train?
PART 5 Someone in your group needs to ride the roller coaster. Measure the gs at the first 4
dips and hills. Note which part of the car you are riding in at the time of the
measurement.
DIP #
gs
Number of rows of seats from the front (middle is best)
1
2
PART 6 Measure the gs at the first 2 dips and the first 2 peaks after the initial hill from the back,
middle and front of the train.
For each location indicate how many seats from the front you are riding.
Location BACK gs
MIDDLE gs FRONT gs
A
B
1
2
PART 7 What is the average velocity for the entire ride?
PART 8 Excluding the time it takes for the roller coaster to travel up the first hill, estimate the
length of the remaining track, measure the time it takes for the train to travel this length
and calculate the average velocity for this section of track.
Length:
Time:
Average Velocity:
PART 9

Which roller coaster(s) in the park has/have a hill that is NOT parabolic?
Which hill(s) was/were not parabolic? (1ST, 2ND, 3RD, ETC)

- 102 -

by Tony Wayne

The next lab was designed for the park that does not allow accelerometers to be taken on the
rides themselves.

- 106 -

by Tony Wayne

1
2
3
4

What is the length


of the roller
coaster train?

What is the
distance between
cross tie supports
on the ride?

TRAIN LENGTH

Distance between
supports

Velocity at the top


of the first hill?

What is the published length of the


track?
1st Hills Height?

How many roller coaster cars


make up a train of cars?

What is the mass of each coaster


car?

What is the vertical height of the 1st hill that the roller coaster car is lifted up?

- 107 -

by Tony Wayne

How fast is the car traveling over the top of the hill?

How much time does it take for the middle of the train to reach the highest point of the first
hill?

What is the velocity of the train at the bottom of the dip after the first hill?

Using the velocity in the previous question calculate the height of this drop.

What is the velocity of the roller coaster at the bottom of the 1st loop?
What is the velocity of the roller coaster at the top of the loop?
Using the information from the previous questions, calculate the vertical height of the
loop.

Suppose your loop was designed using simple geometry. Below is an irregular loop
shape that is designed from the splicing together of two large circles with a smaller circle.
The smaller circles radius is half the larger circles radius. Using the information from the
previous problem calculate the radii of the two circles.

1
R
2
H

Bigger circles radius


Smaller circles radius
Using the calculated radius information above, calculate the gs felt by a rider at the
bottom of the loop and at the top of the loop.

- 108 -

by Tony Wayne

Using your previous answers do you think it is possible that the loop is designed
according to our simple geometry model?

Calculate the velocity of the car as it travels over the 2nd hill.

Calculate the velocity of the car as it travels past the bottom of the next dip.

Calculate the velocity of the car as it travels over the 3rd hill.

Calculate the velocity of the car as it travels past the bottom of the next dip.

Assuming the initial total mechanical energy of the train is ZERO, how much total
mechanical energy is gained by raising the train of cars to the top of the first hill.

The train has to lose its total mechanical energy by the time it reaches the end of the
ride. Assuming 2/3s of this initial energy at the top of the hill is lost due to friction during
the length of the entire ride, what is the average force of friction opposing the trains
motion as it travels along the entire length of the track? (HINT: Use energy and work)

- 109 -

by Tony Wayne

How much horsepower was used to raise the train up the first hill?

If electricity costs $0.20/(kWhr), then how much does it cost to raise the train up the first hill?

How many runs does a train make in 1 hour?

How much does it cost to run the train in a 14 hour day?

- 110 -

by Tony Wayne

- 111 -

by Tony Wayne

Your Name:

Your Grader:

Due Dates:
____________ : Turn in your roller coaster with your answers.
____________ : Turn in your roller coaster with your answers and the other groups
answers to your roller coaster -No late papers accepted. This counts as a lab grade.
You may work in groups of 2.
Your roller coaster must be neatly drawn in pen. It must take up no more than one 8.5 X 11
inch piece of paper.
Your questions are to be written on a separate sheet of paper.
Your solutions are to be on a third sheet -SHOW ALL WORK OR LOSE 8 POINTS.
Do not give your answers to the group checking your work. After they have finished
checking your work compare answers and solve any discrepancies among yourselves.

Your (groups) roller coasters points depend on if your roller coaster includes:
Work calculated from Fd equation -with at least 1 question about it. (7 pts.)
Work calculated from a graph of force vs. distance-with at least 1 question about it. The
graph cannot be a horizontal line. (7 pts.)
A loop-the-loop -with at least 2 questions about it. (7 pts.)
A spring -with at least 1 question about it. (7 pts.)
A hill -with at least 2 question about it. (7 pts.)
At least one of the above questions must be about the gs felt by the rider. (7 pts.)
The rider experiences gs no higher than 10 gs at every hill top and dip. (7 pts.)
Calculated the solutions to someone else's lab. (25% of the lab grade.)
Whose lab did you grade?
Percentage of your labs questions that were correct as graded by another group.
___________ (20 pts. maximum)
Total number of points checked above:
- 112 -

by Tony Wayne

Your Name:

Your Grader:

Overview:
For this project, you will create a poster that diagrams a made up roller coaster. This roller
coaster will contain calculations of gs, velocities, heights, spring constants, etc.
Due Date
No late papers accepted.
This counts as a lab grade.
You may work in groups of 2 or by yourself.
Presentation guidelines:
Neatly drawn with a magic marker.
straight lines drawn with a straight edge or computer
smooth curves drawn with drawing aides or a computer
no white out
virtually no smudges
grid lines drawn every set distance with a ball point pen
Size
bigger than 10 X 13
smaller than 30 X 36
Must be drawn on poster board or mounted to poster board
The board must have the coaster without any numbers drawn on it.
The board must have a plastic sheet cover.
The cover contains all numbers and answers. These numbers are to be placed at the
corresponding locations on the coaster track.
The plastic cover must be attached only at the top of the poster board.
Calculation guidelines:
Every hill, dip and loop, top and bottom.
Calculate and label the velocity, centripetal acceleration expressed in m/s 2, and the gs
felt by the rider.
Every linear force (either from a graph or pure number)
Calculate and label the force at the beginning where the force is applied and at the
end of where the force is applied. Also calculate the acceleration due to this force
expressed in m/s 2 and gs.
Every spring
Calculate and label the spring constant.
Calculate and label maximum compression distance of the spring.
Calculate and label the velocity of the coasters car before it hits the spring.
EVERY SINGLE CALCULATION must be NEATLY written on a 1/2 sheet of paper.
- 113 -

by Tony Wayne

Other
Maximum positive gs must be less than 10 gs to be considered for an A grade.
Maximum negative gs must be less than 4 gs to be considered for an A grade.
Must contain at least one loop
Must contain one spring OR force that does work -whose force is calculated from a
graph.
GRADES
Grades are based on the neatness of your presentation and the correctness of your work.
It is hard to get an A. An A project follows all the rules above and is creative. It is the
exemplary project. It is easier to get a B.

- 114 -

by Tony Wayne

- 115 -

by Tony Wayne

- 116 -

by Tony Wayne

- 117 -

by Tony Wayne

HEIGHT (meters)

- 118 -

by Tony Wayne

HEIGHT (meters)

- 119 -

by Tony Wayne

Roller coasters are about speed control and sensations. When designing a roller coaster the
designer needs to be able to predict speeds and the riders sensations.

A free fall hill is defined by two formulae. The first formula is for the top of the hill. The second
formula is for the bottom of the hill. The ending and beginning locations for the top and the bottom of
the hill meet at the transition point. The transition point is the location of the maximum angle. The
designer usually defines this angle somewhere between 35 and 60.

This portion of the hill is where


the rider is in free fall.
It obeys the formula.

x=

Transition point where the hill is at its maximum angle

2y (vtop) 2
g

The curve below the transition point obeys the formula.

(Vyo) (V yo)2 2( ay) y ax (V yo) (Vyo)2 2(ay) y


x = Vxo

ay
ay

The equation for the section of the hill before the transition point is
y = the height from the top of the hill
x = is the distance away from the center of the hill
v = the velocity the roller coaster car travels over the
top of the hill.
a = the acceleration due to gravity. 9.80 m/s 2 for
answers in meters. 32.15 ft /s 2 for answers in feet.

2
gx
y=
2
2v

- 120 -

by Tony Wayne

There is a point on the hill where it no longer follows the equations of projectile motion. This is the
transition point. The transition point is the location on the hill where its angle is at a maximum.
Below the transition point the curve is created following some different rules.
1)

To design a hill from top to bottom decide on the initial velocity as the car travels over the hill,
the height of the hill, and the maximum inclination angle. The inclination angle will determine
how steep the hill will become. Choose a value between 35 and 60 as a ball park starting
figure. The bigger the maximum inclination angle, the greater the acceleration at the bottom on
a given hill. If the acceleration at the bottom of the hill is too great, make the hill higher or
reduce the maximum inclination angle. As the free-fall part of the curve is plotted keep track of
the angle between successive points. When the angle of the hill matches or just exceeds the
maximum angle of inclination of the hill, stop using the free-fall equations.
When doing the actual calculations, use small vertical step intervals, e.g. 1.0 meter
increments. Make the top of the hill zero. For each y step down you will get an x value. These
are your x, y coordinates for the hills shape.

2)

Calculate the velocity of the bottom of the hill using energy relationships. [(v TOP)2 = (vBOTTOM2)
+2gh]
If energy methods
used to calculate
velocity here, then
answer is Vo in
diagram below.

are
the
the
the

Tangent line

ay

Transition point
(Angle of maximum
inclination)

Vy
Vo
90

Vx

ax

- 121 -

by Tony Wayne

3)

Calculate the remaining distance to the bottom of the hill from the location of the maximum
inclination angle.

This portion of the hill is where


the rider is in free fall.
Transition point where the hill is at its
maximum angle

Remaining
Height

4)

Decide on an acceleration that will be used to change the shape of the hill. Say 1.5 to 2.5 gs
(14.7 to 24.5 m/s2). There are two accelerations the coaster car will feel. One vertically will
slow its vertical velocity to zero. A second horizontal velocity will increase the cars velocity to
the final velocity. The total acceleration is
ax
a y
= tan 1
a x
ay
anet
a net = (a x ) 2 + ( a y) 2

Remember,
in the vertical direction. In the horizontal direction gs felt = ax . To calculate the gs felt by the
rider use one of the gs felt values when calculating anet .

- 122 -

by Tony Wayne

5)

Calculate the vertical component of velocity at the location of maximum inclination angle.
Calculate the horizontal component of velocity at the location of maximum inclination angle.
These velocities are the initial velocities for the final section of the track.

6)

Use the formula


(Vyo) (V yo)2 2( ay) y ax (V yo) (Vyo)2 2(ay) y
x = Vxo

ay
ay

to calculate the bottom half of the hill.

- 123 -

by Tony Wayne

- 124 -

by Tony Wayne

This will show the reader the basic steps to designing a roller coaster. The example
coaster will not be the best possible design. (I dont want students to use it as their own in
other projects.)
Draw a picture of what the coaster may look like.

BANKED
CURVE

Assign some beginning numbers.


Numbers like the initial velocity as the coaster train leaves the station. The mass of the coaster train. And/or
an initial velocity as it tops the first hill. (Label the pieces for easy identification when analyzing.)
8.26 m/s

124.5 m

5.24 m/s

22.5 m
BANKED
CURVE

- 125 -

by Tony Wayne

Begin to calculate everything you can and check to see if it makes sense.
For this design start by calculating the force needed to pull the train up the incline and
the power to pull it up the incline.
In order to calculate the power force and power to pull it up the incline Im going to
need the trains mass. So make up a reasonable mass. This coaster is made up of 6
cars. Each car has a maximum mass, with two riders at 100 kg each, of 735 kg; (535 kg
car + 100 kg rider + 100 kg rider.) Therefore, the coaster train will have a mass of
4410 kg.
What angle will the first incline be? The designer can choose this number too. 42 is
good. The train is going to be pulled up vertically a distance of, (124.5-22.5), 102.0 m.
Incline
length?
102.0 m
42

Incline length = 102/(sin42)


Incline length = 152.4 m

ET(OUT OF STATION) + Work = ET(TOP OF 1st HILL)


KE + PE +W = KE +PE
2
(1/2)mv + mgh + Fd = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)4410(5.24)2 + 4410(9.8)(22.5) + F(152.4) = (1/2)4410(8.26)2 + 4410(9.8)(124.5)
60544.008 + 972405 + F(152.4) = 150441.858 + 5380641
F(152.4) = 4498133.85
F = 29515.314 N ... is the pulling force
along the incline.
How much time will it take to travel up the incline?
The acceleration of the train is found from
(vf )2 = (vo)2 +2ad
(8.26) 2 = (5.24)2 + 2(a)d
a = 0.134 m/s 2
vf = vo + at
8.26 = 5.24 + 0.134(t)
t = 22.537 sec ...is the time to climb the incline.
(Most initial lift times are between 60
and 120 seconds.)
It is beyond the scope of this book to show how to calculate the time for each
track element. It was shown here because of its ease of calculation.
Calculate maximum velocity of the ride.
- 126 -

by Tony Wayne

8.86 m/s

124.5 m

5.24 m/s

22.5 m
BANKED
CURVE

Since the 1st drop is the longest, the velocity at the bottom will be the greatest,
(location #3). Energy relationships will be used to calculate the velocity.
ET(LOCATION #2) = ET(LOCATION #3)
KE + PE = KE +PE
1
( /2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)4410(8.26)2 + 4410(9.8)(124.5) = (1/2)4410(v)2 + 4410(9.8)(0)
150441.858 + 5380641 = 2205(v)2
2508.428 = (v) 2
v = 50.084
v = 50.1 m/s ... At the bottom of the first hill
Thats 112 mi/hr !!!
The loop.
For any loop, the designer would like to know the velocity as the rider enters the loop;
at the top of the loop; and as the rider leaves the loop. The designer would also like to
know the gs felt by the passengers. This is the location on the ride where riders are
most likely to pass out if the gs are too much. The radius in the loop below is made up.

- 127 -

by Tony Wayne

8.86 m/s

124.5 m

5.24 m/s

R = 31.2 m
22.5 m
BANKED
CURVE

The velocity as the rider enters the loop and as the rider leaves the loop is the same as
the velocity at the bottom of the first hill. This is because all three locations are at the same
height.
The velocity at the top of the loop is not the same as at the bottom. As the coaster
travels up the loop it will lose kinetic energy and gain potential energy.
The height of the loop is simply double the radius. h = 2(31.2) = 62.4 m
ET(LOCATION #2) = ET(LOCATION #4)
KE + PE = KE +PE
1
( /2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)4410(8.26)2 + 4410(9.8)(124.5) = (1/2)4410(v)2 + 4410(9.8)(62.4)
150441.858 + 5380641 = 2205(v)2 + 2696803.2
1285.388 = (v) 2
v = 35.852
v = 35.9 m/s ... At the bottom of the first hill
Thats 80.3 mi/hr !!!
If you are doing this calculation and you get an expression that requires you to calculate
the velocity by taking the SQUARE ROOT OF A NEGATIVE NUMBER, then the loop is too
tall for the given velocity at the bottom of the loop. The velocity will need to be increased
or the height of the loop decreased.
To calculate the gs felt by the rider, calculate the centripetal acceleration at each
location, convert to gs and either add or subtract a g as necessary.

- 128 -

by Tony Wayne

v = 50.084 m/s
r = 31.2 m
ac =

v2
r

2m
ac = 50.084 /s
31.2 m

ac = 80.398 m/s 2
ac = 80.398 m/s 2
9.80 m/s 2
ac = 8.2 gs
ac = 8.2 gs + 1g
ac = 9.2 gs
... That is an incredible amount of gs. Most
coasters do not go above 5 gs. To be safe
the radius at the bottom of the loop needs to
be bigger.

v = 35.852 m/s
r = 31.2 m
ac =

v2
r

2m
ac = 35.852 /s
31.2 m

ac = 41.198 m/s 2
ac = 41.198 m/s 2
9.80 m/s 2
ac = 4.2 gs
ac = 4.2 gs - 1g
ac = 3.2 gs
... That is an acceptable amount. But 3.2 gs is
rather high for the top of a loop. Most of the
time the gs at the top of a loop are from 1.5 to
2 gs.
Because of the need for a larger radius as the rider enters the loop above, this coaster
might be a good candidate for an irregular loop like the one below.

- 129 -

by Tony Wayne

8.86 m/s

124.5 m
R2 = ??
5.24 m/s
R1 =??
22.5 m

h can equal the


sum of the 2 radii or
a number a little
bigger or smaller
h = ??
than their sum. This
is not a design to be
built so it is up to
the engineer.

BANKED
CURVE

For this new loop, the designer will have to calculate the new
velocity at the top of the loop using the new height. The gs felt
will also need to be recalculated using the 2 new radii. This is
left as an exercise for the reader.
The banked curve.
The banked curve is a horizontal curve on the ground in this diagram. Because it is at
the lowest point its velocity is equal to that of location #3, where v = 50.084 m/s . For a
first try Ill make the radius 31.2 m.
8.86 m/s

124.5 m

5.24 m/s

R = 31.2 m
22.5 m
BANKED
CURVE
31.2 m

The curve will be designed at the optimum angle where no friction or outside lateral
forces are needed to keep the car on the track at speed. At speed means the velocity of
the track design.
- 130 -

by Tony Wayne

tan() =

v2
rg

tan() =

50.0842 m/s
31.2 m(9.8) m/s 2 )

tan() = 0.164
= 9.3
.... Thats almost a flat turn. It might be more exciting to try to decrease the
radius so a greater banking angle will be needed.
The gs felt are calculated from
1
gs felt =
cos()
1
cos (9.3)
gs felt = 1.013 gs .... This is not much more than normal gravity. These gs are the gs
felt applied to your seat. Because this curve is rather flat, it would be wise to examine
lateral, centripetal, acceleration in gs.
gs felt =

Lateral gs are the gs felt in the horizontal plain of the curve.


v = 50.084 m/s
r = 31.2 m ... of the curve. This just happens to be the same as the loops radius.
v2
ac =
r
2m
ac = 50.084 /s
31.2 m

ac = 80.398 m/s 2
ac = 80.398 m/s 2
9.80 m/s 2
ac = 8.2 gs ... Do not add or subtract a g because the
circular motion is horizontal and not in the
vertical plain.
... That is a lot of lateral gs. Thats 8.2 times the
riders weight pressing him against the side of
the coaster car. It is too extreme. Maybe a
value around 1 to 2 gs would be better
tolerated by the rider.
The banked curve needs to be redesigned.

- 131 -

by Tony Wayne

The camel back


The camel back humps begin at the lowest part of the track and climb to a height of
21.5 m. The calculations to check the velocity at the top of the hump is similar to the
one for the drop from location 2 to 3.
8.86 m/s

124.5 m

5.24 m/s

R = 31.2 m
22.5 m
BANKED
CURVE
31.2 m
21.5 m

ET(LOCATION #7) = ET(LOCATION #8)


KE + PE = KE +PE
(1/2)mv2 + 0 = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 + 0 = (1/2)v2 + gh
(1/2)(50.084)2 + 0 = (1/2)(v)2 + (9.8)(21.5)
1254.203528 = (1/2)(v)2 + 210.7
2087.007056 = (v)2
v = 45.6838
v = 45.7 m/s ... At the bottom of the first camel
back hill.
Thats 102 mi/hr !!!

- 132 -

by Tony Wayne

STANDARD LOOP COASTER


800 kg
10 m/ s

80 m
20m
35 m

1 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the bottom of the hill?
2 How fast is the roller coaster traveling as it enters the loop?
3 What is the centripetal acceleration applied by the track at the bottom of the
loop?
4 How many gs does the rider feel at the bottom of the loop?
5 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the top of the loop?
6 What is the centripetal acceleration applied by the track at the top of the loop?
7 How many gs does the rider feel at the top of the loop?
8 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the top of the 35 m hill?

- 133 -

by Tony Wayne

IRREGULAR LOOP COASTER


800 kg
10 m/ s

80 m

50 m
10 m
40 m

35 m

The roller coaster car enters the loop here.

1 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the bottom of the hill?
2 How fast is the roller coaster traveling as it enters the loop?
3 What is the centripetal acceleration applied by the track at the bottom of the
loop?
4 How many gs does the rider feel at the bottom of the loop?
5 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the top of the loop?
6 What is the centripetal acceleration applied by the track at the top of the loop?
7 How many gs does the rider feel at the top of the loop?
8 How fast is the roller coaster car traveling at the top of the 35 m hill?

- 134 -

by Tony Wayne

ROLLER COASTER DETECTIVE


800 kg, 3 m/ s

NO
FRICTION
4gs felt,
28 m/ s

A
h1

2gs felt, 9 m/ s

h2

20 m

The roller coaster car enters the loop here.

1
2
3
4
5
6

What is the height, between A and B?


What is the centripetal acceleration at B?
What is the radius of the track at B?
How high is location C?
What is the radius of the track at location C?
What is the velocity of the car at location D?

1 ) 39.54 m

2 ) 29.4 m/s 2

3 ) 26.67 m

4 ) 35.87 m

- 135 -

5 ) 2.76 m

6 ) 19.80 m/s

by Tony Wayne

800 kg, 3 m/ s

4gs felt,
35 m/ s

A motor pulls
the car up
the hill
before
turning off at
the top.

h1

Stop

2gs felt, 12 m/ s

k = 12,000 N/m

x = ?

E
R

h2

h = 30
20 m

At the lowest height


7 m/ s
The roller coaster car enters
the loop here.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

What is the height, between B and C?


What is the centripetal acceleration at C?
What is the radius of the track at C?
How high is location D?
What is the radius of the track at location D?
How fast is the car traveling at location E?
How far is the spring compressed from its hanging position, x?
If the car traveled up the first hill in 1.2 minutes, then how much power was used to pull it up the
hill in horsepower?

1 ) 62.04 m

2 ) 29.4 m/s 2

3 ) 41.7 m

4 ) 55.15 m

5 ) 7.34 m

6 ) 28.86 m/s

7 ) 5.89 m

8 ) 8.76 hp, 6533 w

- 136 -

by Tony Wayne

STANDARD LOOP COASTER


ET1 = EK + UG

800 kg

ANSWERS

10 m/ s

ET4 = EK + UG

ET3 = EK + UG

ET2 = EK + UG
80 m
20m

35 m

1. ET1 = ET2
EK + UG = EK + UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2
1/2 10 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/2 v2
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2
1668 = v2
v = 40.84 m/s

2. 40.84 m/s because its height


does not change from #1.
3. AC = v2
R

5. ET1 = ET3
EK + UG = EK + UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2 + mgh
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2 + gh
1/2(10) 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/ + 9.8(40)
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2 + 392
442 = 1/2 v2
v = 29.73 m/s
6. AC = v2
R
AC = 29.732
20
AC = 44.2 m/s 2

AC = 40.842
20

4. AC in gs = 83.4 m/s 2
9.8 m/s 2
AC = 8.51 gs
Add 1 g at the bottom
for what the rider feels.
8.51 g + 1 g = 9.51 gs

AC = 83.4 m/s 2
7. AC in gs = 4.5 gs
Subtract 1 g at the top for what
the rider feels.
4.5 g - 1 g = 5.5 gs
8. ET1 = ET4
EK + UG = EK +UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2 + mgh
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2 + gh
1/2 (10) 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/2 v2 + 9.8(35)
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2 + 343
491 = 1/2 v2
v = 31.34 m/s

AC in gs = 44.2 m/s 2
9.8 m/s 2

- 137 -

by Tony Wayne

IRREGULAR LOOP COASTER


ET1 = EK + UG

800 kg

ANSWERS

10 m/ s

ET3 = EK + UG

ET4 = EK + UG

ET2 = EK + UG
80 m

50 m
10 m
40 m

35 m

The roller coaster car enters the loop here.

1. ET1 = ET2
EK + UG = EK + UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2
1/2 10 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/2 v2
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2
1668 = v2
v = 40.84 m/s

2. 40.84 m/s because its height


does not change from #1.
3. AC = v2
R
AC = 40.842
50

AC = 33.36 m/s 2
7. AC in gs = 9.02 gs
Subtract 1 g at the top for
what the rider feels.
9.02 g - 1 g = 8.02 gs felt

5. ET1 = ET3
EK + UG = EK + UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2 + mgh
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2 + gh
1/2(10) 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/2v2 + 9.8(40)
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2 + 392
442 = 1/2 v2
v = 29.73 m/s
6. AC = v2
R
AC = 29.732
10
AC = 88.39 m/s 2
AC in gs = 88.39 m/s 2
9.8 m/s 2

4. AC in gs = 33.36 m/s 2
9.8 m/s 2
AC = 3.40 gs
Add 1 g at the bottom
for what the rider feels.
3.40 g + 1 g = 4.40 gs

8. ET1 = ET4
EK + UG = EK +UG
1/2 mv2 + mgh = 1/2 mv2 + mgh
1/2 v2 + gh = 1/2 v2 + gh
1/2 (10) 2 + 9.8(80) = 1/2 v2 + 9.8(35)
50 + 784 = 1/2 v2 + 343
491 = 1/2 v2
v = 31.34 m/s

- 138 -

by Tony Wayne

The information on this diagram is to be used for the accompanying questions.

Using the information shown on the diagram on the other page, determine
the correct answers to the following questions.
1 How much power was used to pull the coaster car up the first hill? (in watts and
horsepower.)
2 How fast is the car traveling at location A if it coasted down the back side of the first
hill?
3 How many gs does the rider feel as he enters the bottom of the next element if its
radius is 60.0 m, at location B?
4 How fast is the car traveling when it reaches the banked curve?
5 If the banked curve is at a 52.3 angle with the horizontal, then what is the radius of the
banked curve?
6 How many gs does the rider feel in the banked curve?
7 How many gs does a rider feel as he enters the bottom of the loop?
8 How fast is the rider traveling at the top of the loop?
9 How many gs does the rider feel at the top of the loop?
10 As the car enters the station at the end of the ride, its brakes are applied. How much
power do the brakes exert on the car? (in watts and horsepower.)

Use Energy relationships and power to solve


vo = 5.50 m/s
vf = 4.44 m/s
h = 62.5 m
t = 45.8 s
m =6500 kg
Power = Work = Energy
time
time
ET = [KEf + PEf ] - [KEo + PEo]
ET = [(1/2)m(vf )2 + mg(hf )] - [(1/2)m(vo)2 + 0]
ET = [(1/2)(6500)(4.44)2 + (6500)(9.80)(62.5)] - [( 1/2)(6500)(5.50)2]
ET = 64069.2 + 3981250 - 98312.5
ET = 3947006.7 J
Power = Energy = 3947006.7 J
time
45.8 s
Power = 86,179.186 watts ...746 w = 1 hp
Power = 115.52 hp
Use Energy relationships to solve
vo = 4.44 m/s ...at the hill top
vf = ???? ...at the hill bottom
h = 62.5 + 22.1 = 84.6 m
ET @ the hill top = ET @ the hill bottom
KE + PE = KE + PE
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2 + 0
(1/2)(4.44) 2 + (9.80)(84.6) = (1/2)v2
838.94 = ( 1/2)v2
v = 40.96 m/s
Use circular motion relationships to solve
v = 45.5 m/s , r = 60.0 m
ac = V2 = 45.52 = 34.50417 m/s 2
r
60.0
ac = 34.50417 m/s 2 = 3.52 gs ...convert ac to gs
9.80 m/s 2
gs felt at the bottom = ac[in gs] + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 3.52 + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 4.52 gs
- 141 -

by Tony Wayne

Use Energy relationships to solve


ET @ B = ET @ A
KE + PE = KE + PE
1
( /2)mv2 + 0 = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 = (1/2)v2 + gh
(1/2)(45.5) 2 = (1/2)v2+ (9.80)(60.0)
447.125 = ( 1/2)v2
v = 29.904 m/s
Use banked curves
v = 29.90401311 m/s ...from #4
= 52.3
tan() = v2
(rg)
tan(52.3) = (29.90401311)2
(R)(9.80)
R = 70.52601458 m
R = 70.5 m
Use banked curves
1
gs felt =
sin()
1
sin(52.3)
gs felt = 1.26
gs felt =

Use circular motion relationships to solve


v = 45.5 m/s ...because it is at the same height as location B.
r = 15 m
ac = V2 = 45.52 = 138.01667 m/s 2
r
15
ac = 138.01667 m/s 2 = 314.083 gs ...convert a c to gs
9.80 m/s 2
gs felt at the bottom = ac[in gs] + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 14.083 + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 15.0 gs

- 142 -

by Tony Wayne

Use Energy relationships to solve


ET @ bottom = ET @ top
KE + PE = KE + PE
(1/2)mv2 + 0 = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 = (1/2)v2 + gh
(1/2)(45.5) 2 = (1/2)v2+ (9.80)(30.0)
741.125 = ( 1/2)v2
v = 38.5 m/s

Use circular motion relationships to solve


v = 38.5 m/s ...from #8
r = 15 m
ac = V2 = 38.52 = 98.8167 m/s 2
r
15
ac = 98.8167 m/s 2 = 10.083 gs ...convert ac to gs
9.80 m/s 2
gs felt at the top = ac[in gs] - 1 g
gs felt at the top = 10.083 - 1 g
gs felt at the top = 9.08 gs
Use energy relationships and power to solve
vo = 25.05 m/s
vf = 3.03 m/s
d = 10 m
t = 45.8 s
m =6500 kg
Power = Work = Energy
time
time
ET = [KEf + PEf ] - [KEo + PEo]
ET = [(1/2)m(vf )2 + 0] - [(1/2)m(vo)2 + 0]
ET = (1/2)(6500)(25.05)2 - (1/2)(6500)(5.50)2
ET = 2010103.875J
distance = (final velocity) + (initial velocity)
time
2
10
25.03
+
3.03
=
t
2
t = 0.712250712 s

- 143 -

by Tony Wayne

Power = Energy = 2010103.875


time
0.712250712
Power = 2822185.841watts
Power = 3783.09 hp

...746 w = 1 hp

- 144 -

by Tony Wayne

Using the information shown on the diagram on the other page, determine
the correct answers to the following questions.
1 How much force is used to accelerate the train across the first 42.6 m?
2 How many gs does the rider feel as he is pushed by the initial accelerating force?
3 How fast is the car traveling at location A if it coasted down the back side of the first
hill?
4 At location B the incline is 90 of a circle. How many gs does the rider feel as he
enters the loop at location B?
5 How fast is the car traveling when it reaches location C?
6 In the banked turn the rider is traveling 21.6 m/s. What is the optimum angle of the
banked curve?
7 How many gs does the rider feel as he enters the loop?
8 What is the height of the loop?
9 If the radius at the top of the loop is 7.45 m, then how many gs does the rider feel at this
location?
10 How high does the coaster train coast at the end of the track?

Use energy relationships to solve


ET(BEGINNING) + WORK = ET(BEGINNING)
0 + Fd = (1/2) mv2
F(42.6) = (1/2) 5634)(38.6)2
F(42.6) = 4197217.32
F = 98,526.22817 N
F = 98,500 N
Use kinematics to solve
vf2 = vo2 + 2ax
38.6 2 = 0 + 2a(42.6)
ac = 17.48779 m/s 2
ac = 17.48779 m/s 2 convert a c to gs
9.80 m/s 2
Use energy relationships to solve
ET(AFTER FORCE) = ET (at A)
KE + PE = KE + PE
1
( /2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2) v2 + 0
(1/2)(36.8) 2 + 9.8(12.1) = (1/2)v2
863.56 = ( 1/2)v2
1727.12 = v 2
v = 41.55863 m/s
v = 41.6 m/s
v = 45.5 m/s, r = 70.3 m
ac = V2 = 45.52 = 29.44879 m/s 2
r
70.3
ac = 29.44879 m/s 2 = 3.0049787 gs ...convert ac to gs
9.80 m/s 2
gs felt at the bottom = ac[in gs] + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 3.0049787 + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 4.00 gs

- 147 -

by Tony Wayne

Use energy relationships and compare locations B with C


ETB = ETC
KE + PE = KE + PE
1
( /2)mv2 + 0 = (1/2)mv2 + mgh
(1/2)v2 + 0 = (1/2)v2 + gh
(1/2)(45.5) 2 + 0 = (1/2)v2 + 9.8(61.3)
1035.125 = (1/2)v2 +600.74
868.77 = v 2
v = 29.4749 m/s
v = 29.5 m/s
Use banked curve equations
v = 21.6 m/s , r = 42.3 m
tan() = v2
(rg)
tan() = 21.62
(42.6)(9.80)
= 48.117768
= 48.1
Use circular motion equations
v = 45.5 m/s , r = 35.3 m
ac = V2 = 45.52 = 58.6473 m/s 2
r
35.3
ac = 58.6473 m/s 2 = 5.984419 gs ...convert a c to gs
9.80 m/s 2

gs felt at the bottom = ac[in gs] + 1 g


gs felt at the bottom = 5.984419 + 1 g
gs felt at the bottom = 6.98gs
Use energy relationships
v(BOTTOM) = 45.5 m/s , V(TOP) = 15.2 m/s
ET(TOP) = ET(BOTTOM)
KE + PE = KE + PE
(1/2)mv2 + mgh = (1/2)mv2 + 0
(1/2)v2 + gh = (1/2)v2
1
( /2)(15.2) 2 + (9.80)h = (1/2)(45.5) 2
115.52 + 9.8(h) = 1035.125
h =93.8372 m
h = 93.8 m

- 148 -

by Tony Wayne

Use circular motion relationships


v = 15.2 m/s , r = 7.45 m
ac = V2 = 15.22 = 31.01208 m/s 2
r
7.45
ac = 31.01208 m/s 2 = 3.164498 gs ...convert a c to gs
9.80 m/s 2
gs felt at the top of a loop = ac[in gs] + 1 g
gs felt at the top of a loop = 3.164498 + 1 g
gs felt at the top of a loop= 2.16 gs
Use energy relationships to solve.
Velocity at the highest point will be zero, (apogee).
ET(BOTTOM) = ET(TOP)
KE + PE = KE + PE
(1/2)mv2 + 0 = 0 + mph
(1/2)v2 = gh
(1/2)(45.5) 2 + = (9.80)h
h =105.625 m
h = 106 m

- 149 -

by Tony Wayne

HILL AND DIPS: ACTIVITY 1


Shape for a low ramp, slow velocity
RULER

Shape for a medium ramp, medium


velocity
Shape for a medium ramp, medium
velocity

1. The steeper ramp yields the greatest velocity when leaving the table.
2. The greater the speed over the hill the flatter, more spread out, the hill must become.
See page 22 in the text for the other parts of the solution.

HILL DESIGN: ACTIVITY 1


Draw the results below.
SLOW BALLS PATH

FAST BALLS PATH

HILL DESIGN: ACTIVITY 2


1-3
4
5

For the hill where the car becomes airborne, the hill width will be shorter than the hill where
the car does not become airborne.
The car will become airborne over the hill because it will be traveling too fast. And the hill
needs to be the same shape as if there were no track, a parabola.
The car will become airborne over hill B. The two hills are the same height. The steeper the
drop off on the right side of the hill the slower the car needs to go. This is because hill B is the
slow balls path (shown in Activity 1.)

- 150 -

by Tony Wayne

LOOP DESIGN: ACTIVITY 1


The starting height for the klothoid loop will be lower than the starting height for the circular
loop. The advantage of the klothoid loops design is that the roller coaster car does not have to be
going as fast to stay on the track when the car is upside down.

FREE F ALL (Weightlessness) : ACTIVITY 1


Why doesnt the water come out of the holes when it is dropped?
The water comes out of the holes when the cup is standing still and the water is allowed to
accelerate down relative to the cup. When the cup is dropped, it is accelerating down at the same
rate as the cup. The cup has no reaction force holding it up and the water stays in.
Start of the ride
WEIGHTLESSNESS

STAYING SEATED
Block this out when copying:
To calculate the centripetal acceleration you will need to know the
radius the cup spins in and the time to go around once. The radius
can be calculated while holding the cup and board still. Someone
should swing the board around with as consistent a velocity as
possible. Time how long it takes to go around 10 times. To find the
time to go around once,
Time to go around once = Time to go around 10 times
10

Hold here

RADIUS

to find the centripetal acceleration use the equation


a = 4 2R
T2
where a is the centripetal acceleration, R is the radius and T is
the time to go around once.
To convert the acceleration to gs divide the acceleration by 9.8.
(This is assuming your original measurements are in meters and
seconds.)
EXAMPLE: A board connected to a rope whose length from the
students hand to the board is 0.50m. The board takes 10.77
seconds to go around 10 times.
SOLUTION: The time to go around once is 1.077 seconds. The
centripetal acceleration is 17 m/s 2. This is 1.73 gs.
- 151 -

by Tony Wayne

PRACTICING YOUR ESTIMATIONS


MEASURING THE VELOCITY OF A MOVING OBJECT
HotWheels train

START timing when


the FRONT of the train
passes a point.

HotWheels track

HotWheels train

STOP timing when the


BACK of the train
passes a point.

HotWheels track

- 152 -

by Tony Wayne

ROLLER C OASTER PHYSICS

Roller Coaster Desgin Activity

Objective: To design and build a simple, to scale, 3-D, roller coaster model.
Design a roller coaster on paper, show the velocities, gs felt, and heights. The diagram needs to be
neat and readable. The model is to be to scale on a piece of card board. The track is made from
paper. The supports are made from manila folder or foam core board. The lines on the track
represent the cross-ties on the track. Please print them off on a computer or draw them VERY neatly
and evenly spaced.

Hanging coaster like the Alpengeist

Card board
base

Manila folder
or foam core
supports

Foam core
base

Foam core sides to give this irregular


shaped loop some needed rigidity. The
track is laid inside the loop.

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by Tony Wayne

ROLLER C OASTER PHYSICS

ONE FINAL NOTE OF PREPARATION

This year when you go to the amusement park bring a cam corder and a camera. Video tape
the roller coaster rides. Choose a hill where the cars are not moving too fast. Zoom the cam corder
on the hill without moving the cam corder. The train will pass in and out of view. Next year show the
class the video tape. Have the students use the tape to calculate the velocity of the train at this spot
on the hill. It is great real life practice. Below is an example of the view frame for such a taping.

VIEW FRAME OF THE CAM CORDER FOCUSED ON


THE ROLLER COASTERS TRACK ON A HILL.

With the camera, take pictures of loops, hills, curves, etc. Either use slide film or make these
pictures into overheads. You can show them to the students before they go so they will be prepared
to take the right measurements. You can also use these pictures so students can look at the hills on
a roller coaster and rate them in terms of velocity over the top of each.

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by Tony Wayne

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