2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

THE PHYSICS OF THE ROLLER COASTER

However, the magnitude normal force exerted on the roller coaster by the track always

changes because of the orientation of the track and this also occurs when the roller coaster

is looping. (The Physics Classroom, 1996-2019). The force of gravity always acts downward

towards the Earth (The Physics Classroom, 1996-2019). These forces will act as the inward

force which results the centripetal force exerting on the roller coaster. However, the

magnitude of normal force never remains constant while the gravity of the. At the bottom of

the loop the normal force must counteract the weight of the roller coaster hence the

magnitude is larger than the gravity force and hence will be the main force that acts inwards.

At the top of the loop, the roller coaster track does not need to act on the roller coaster hence

the normal force is minimal. Therefore, the gravitational force of Earth will be the main force

that acts inward as the roller coaster reaches near or the top of the loop. (The Physics

Classroom, 1996-2019)

Fig1.3 (The Physics Classroom, 1996-2019)

As the potential energy which the roller coaster builds up at the top of the first hill is

conversed into kinetic energy, the roller coaster gains kinetic. Since, the kinetic energy is

related to mass and velocity and so does momentum, the roller coaster gains momentum

when the energy conversion occurs or when it travels downhill. Because it has momentum,

the roller coaster will move at a speed in the direction that the track dictates it to. Since loops

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IB Diploma