The thrill of a roller coaster ride and the rush of excitement from it has continuously made people appreciate the importance of roller coaster physics. In the modern era, there are many variations and differences on roller coaster design. Their basic working, however, is based about going around loops, bends and twists at a relatively high speed. Construction takes into account the thrill, workability as well as the safety of users. Roller coaster engineering requires creativity and precise knowledge of physics because it needs to deliver thrills with no spills.
Roller coasters are meant to give one a rush of excitement and the nice kind fear as they go through the loops. Nowadays, a ride can take you through loop-de-loop send you screaming close to 40 stories up hanging you from a shoulder harness, thrusting through corkscrews and switchbacks and cobra turns to put your life entirely at the mercy of engineering (Magalhães & et.al, 2017). The physics in application uses the principles that guide energy inertia and gravity to maintain course and remain on track.
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Safety is a significant concern in roller coaster engineering. The inclusion of technology, computer and use of advanced designs have ensured that rides take into account the safety of users before anything else. Engineers take into account extreme condition that may occur during the ride to reduce significantly any forms of accidents likely to happen (Magalhães & et.al, 2017). These include introducing fail-safes that will enable users to disembark in case of failure safely. Engineers make calculations with high precision taking into account parameters like the G-force, centripetal forces, gravity, friction in the tracks and other inertia forces.
The descent from the first hill is a conversion of maximum potential stored to kinetic energy. Gravity applies a constant downward force on the cabs which cause motion. The coaster tracks channel this force in a predetermined course, this way it controls the fall and the movement of the cars and the safety of its users. Deaccelerating comes about when all the potential has been lost due to frictional losses on the track (Kim, Almond & Shute, 2016). Engineers control every aspect of the movement, from the car to track design taking into account other external forces such as the weight of users to design a safe system that will promote the thrills without the thrills.
Enjoying of these rides will continue as long as Rollercoaster engineering continue applying precision knowledge of physics to ensure maximum safety. The evolution of rides from rudimentary cars on simple tracks has been replaced with great ingenuity with some rides pushing the limits of speed and thrill. The principles of physics will continue guiding this sector in achieving safety and maximum excitement.
References
Kim, Y. J., Almond, R. G., & Shute, V. J. (2016). Applying evidence-centered design for the development of game-based assessments in physics playground. International Journal of Testing, 16(2), 142-163.
Magalhães, H., Antunes, P., Viegas, M., & Ambrosio, J. (2017). Dynamics of a roller coaster vehicle. In Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks Vol 2 (pp. 551-556). CRC Press.
