Are you ready for some excitement? Let’s head to an amusement park to take a spin on that hair-raising, scream-inducing ride we know as the roller coaster! Have you ever looked closely at a roller coaster, though? Have you ever wondered why people don’t fall out of roller coasters when they go upside down? Let’s take a look at the scientific principles and forces behind the thrills of the roller coaster.
Since roller coasters don’t have engines they are pulled up by a chain. As it rises high up in the sky, its potential energy increases and reaches a maximum at a point where we feel we might fall off. But have you ever fallen? No right! It’s because of Newton’s first law of motion, which states that an object tends to stay in motion until and unless an external force is applied to it. This means that the kinetic energy (energy possessed by a moving object) built up could keep it going forever. But these roller coaster rides don’t last forever. That’s because the roller coaster loses energy to other forces as it does loop-the-loops, curves, and other hills along the way.
These other forces eventually bring the roller coaster to a stop. So what are these other forces? Two of the most significant forces are friction and air resistance. As you ride a roller coaster, its wheels rub along the rails, creating heat as a result of friction. This friction slows the roller coaster gradually, as does the air that you fly through as you ride the ride.
Some people are fearful of this height and rides but some are lovers of roller coasters. And if you are one too, then you’ll need to catch a flight to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, which is part of the United Arab Emirates. There you can ride the Formula Rossa, which reaches an amazing top speed of approximately 240km per hour.