BETA
Chapter 1
The icy origins of gravity rides
Chapter 2
The invisible engine of gravity and energy
Chapter 3
Surviving loops and extreme forces
Chapter 4
The engineering of speed and safety
YOUR GOAL
Master of How roller coasters work
Ch 2 · The invisible engine of gravity and energy
artiteacher How Roller Coasters Work
When roller coasters rise so high, Oh-oh, potential energy! Then gravity makes them fly, Yeah-yeah, kinetic energy!
Fun Fact
Gravity power: A roller coaster has no engine, meaning it is technically a gravity-powered train for 99% of its journey.
Glossary
gravity (noun)
The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass. LaMarcus Thompson's 1884 Switchback Railway relied entirely on this natural force to propel its cars.
The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass. LaMarcus Thompson's 1884 Switchback Railway relied entirely on this natural force to propel its cars.
Quiz
Which physical law states that energy in a roller coaster system cannot be created or destroyed?
Quiz
What is the main source of energy loss that slows down a roller coaster during its run?
Quiz
Why must the second hill of a traditional gravity-powered roller coaster always be shorter than the first hill?
Quiz
What type of energy does a roller coaster accumulate as it is pulled up the first lift hill?
Quiz
What force causes roller coaster riders to feel lighter, or experience 'airtime,' at the top of a hill?
Quiz
What is the scientific term for the energy of motion that powers a roller coaster's speed?
Quiz
Why do roller coaster designers make the first hill of a gravity-powered coaster the tallest?