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Materials
- lab handout (one per
student)
- stopwatch (atleast
one per computer)
- pencil and calculator
All movies use QuickTime
5.0. If you do not have QT 5.0 it can be downloaded
here. QuickTime runs on both windows and macintosh computers.
How
to estimate a roller coaster's speed at a distant location.
The measurements revolve
around the three locations shown below. You will need to decide which locations
can be used to answer the appropriate question.
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Click on the appropriate
QuickTime movie at the right to open and run the movie. You must choose
which movie to open and view.
- What is the train
of car's total length?
- Location "A"
is close to the exit of the loading station. What is the speed of the
train at location "A?"
- By the time the
train reaches location "B" it has already traveled past one
drop, up a hill and is coming down in to the first loop. What is the
speed of the coaster at location "B?"
- What is the difference
in height between locations "A" and "B" assuming
no energy is added or removed from the ride between these locations?
- If a rider feels
a force factor of 2.2 g's at location "B," then what is the
radius of curvature at location "B?"
- Location "C"
is the top of the first loop. What is the speed as location "C?"
- What is the difference
in height between locations "A" and "C" assuming
no energy is added or removed from the ride between these locations?
- What is the difference
in height between locations "B" and "C" assuming
no energy is added or removed from the ride between these locations?
- If the radius
of curvature is 7.0 meters at the top of the first loop, location "C,"
then what is the centripetal acceleration a this location?
- How many g's
of acceleration does a rider feel at location "C" ?
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Click
here to access the online book "Roller Coaster Physics."
Teachers click here for
a acrobat file verion of this lab to use in conjunction with this lab and some
notes as to how this page can be used in conjunction with your field trip to
an amusement park.
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