Kimber, Bray 1

Hailey Kimber and Beau Bray

Mrs. Sparrow

Physics 1

3 December 2019

Black Mamba: Understanding Roller Coaster Motion

Purpose: In this lab, we will explore the motion and physics of roller coasters through the

creation of a model roller coaster.

Materials:

● Foam pipe

● Scissors

● Scotch tape

● Poster Board

● Cardboard

● Toilet paper roll

● Marble

● Superglue

Procedure:

1. Cut the foam pipe in half.

2. Cut and glue the cardboard so that it can support the foam pipe.

3. Superglue the cardboard and the toilet paper roll onto the posterboard in the correct

positioning.
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4. Tape together the two halves of the foam pipe end to end.

5. Twist the foam pipe into the correct shape.

6. Tape the twisted foam pipe onto the cardboard, the toilet paper roll, and the posterboard.

7. Place the marble on the ramp and let go.

Data:

*Drawing of roller coaster attached to the back of the write-up*

*All calculations are written on a separate paper which is attached to the back of the write-up*

Total Time Graph

Trial # 1 2 3 4 5 Average

Time(sec) 2.30s 2.10s 2.23s 2.37s 2.23 2.25s

Motion Component Descriptions

● Speed- velocity without designated direction

● Linear Acceleration- the rate of change in velocity per unit of time while on a straight

course

● Centripetal Acceleration- any object moving in a circle will have an acceleration vector

that points towards the center

● Net Force- vector sum of forces acting on a particle

● Normal Force- component of a contact force that is perpendicular to the surface the

object comes in contact with

● Friction Force- the force that resists relative motion

● Kinetic Energy- energy possessed by virtue of being in motion

● Potential Energy- energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to another

● Conservation of Energy- energy cannot be created or destroyed

● Work- measure of energy transfer that occurs when an object is moved over a distance by

an external force

● Power- rate of doing work; amount of energy transferred

Data Analysis/Questions:

1. Newton’s three laws of motion are:

1.1. Every object in a state of uniform motion or at rest will remain as such unless

acted upon by an outside force.

■ When designing a roller coaster the mechanisms used to lift the cart up the

hills is the outside force that acts upon the cart that was at rest.

1.2. Force is equal to mass times acceleration

■ At all times, the cart has a net force that is equal to the acceleration of the

cart and the mass of the cart at the time

1.3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

■ The force exerted by the cart’s movement on the track is countered by the

force that the structure is exerting on to the cart. These net forces are equal

as a way to maintain constant motion.

2. Following the initial drop leading into the loop-dee-loop, we predict that the roller coaster

cars would be accelerating with the most kinetic energy and the lowest potential energy.

Thusly, the cart would be accelerating at a very speedy rate leading into the loop.

3. Work is the product of force and displacement. Force is said to do work if there is

movement of the place of application in the direction of the force.

Energy is the capacity of doing work it may be kinetic, potential, thermal, electrical,

chemical, or nuclear.

The Work-Energy Theorem states that the work done by the sum of all forces on a

particle equals the change in kinetic energy.

On a typical roller coaster ride, the maximum level of potential energy occurs at the top

of the hill and the minimum level of potential energy occurs at the bottom of the hill and

very likely at the end of the ride. The maximum level of kinetic energy occurs at the

bottom of the hill and the minimum level occurs at the top of the hill. Kinetic energy

increases as the cart moves down a hill and potential energy decreases.

4. As the cart descends in height, the potential energy decreases and kinetic energy

increases. As the cart descends in height, the cart accelerates faster. This is due to the

conversion from potential energy to kinetic energy. Each height results in a loss of kinetic

energy and a loss in height results in a boost in kinetic energy.

5. Objects on a curve follow a path parallel to the force created through centripetal

acceleration and the net forces of such. All forces are focused to the center of the curve

and thusly maintain position through movement that allows the cart to follow the path
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quickly and effectively without feeling the effects of the gravitational force pulling

towards the center.

Conclusion:

In this lab, we were tasked with creating a model of a roller coaster that was capable of carrying

a marble through its course. In doing so, we were able to expand our knowledge on motion

through conceptualizing the information we learned in the motion unit. We were able to

successfully create a scale roller coaster that would keep our marble safe whilst experience our

ride. This experiment allowed us to see the effects of physics and motion in real life and

manipulate the laws of motion to create an efficient replica. We are content with our

presentation, however, the more experimenting we were able to have the more we would be able

to excel in our project. Overall, this experiment was a means of rationalizing the concepts we are

learning in class to connect the math to the idea and the world.