Veer, Haseeb, Malisha, Satya

Roller Coaster Final Report:

Veer Satya Haseeb Malisha

Video of rollercoaster:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pXCJvyhbojjNuHTUHG8dTpTOa_1seYRb/view?us
p=sharing
 Veer, Haseeb, Malisha, Satya

Final Diagram

Data Observations:
Veer, Haseeb, Malisha, Satya
 Veer, Haseeb, Malisha, Satya

Points Ep Gravitational Velocity Fc Centripetal

Potential Force

Point 1 0.0367 J 0 m/s N/A

Point 2 0.0367 J 3.85 m/s N/A

Point 3 0.0367 J 3.85 m/s 2N

Point 4 0.309 J 7.86 m/s N/A

Point 5 3.09 J 7.86 m/s N/A

Point 6 0.028449 J 7.86 m/s 2.57 N

Point 7 0.024525 J 7.85 m/s 2.57 N

Point 8 0.017 J N/A N/A

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Point 9 0.00981 J N/A N/A

Point 10 0.00081 J 0.62 m/s N/A

Point 11 N/A 0.62 m/s 0.00030752 N

Point 12 0J 0.3464 m/s N/A

Energy:
In simple terminology, energy is the ability/capacity to do work. Energy can exist through
different forms such as potential energy, thermal,chemical, nuclear, and etc. Energy is a
scalar quantity. The standard unit for energy is joules. The amount of energy that a body
possesses is equal to the amount of work it does when the energy is released. The
formula for energy is E=MC^2.

Forces:
In physics, the word force is basically a push or pull on an object when it interacts with
other objects. When an interaction occurs, the force acts upon both the objects. Unlike
energy, force is a vector quantity. Force is measured in newtons. 1 N= 1 kg x ms^2

Above, is a diagram of an object called “physics” that has a normal force going upwards
with a force of 20 N, gravitational force going downwards of 20 N, Friction force going
left with a force of 5 N.

Circular motion: the circular motion of an object is the movement of an object along a
circular pathway or the circumference of a circle. The circular motion could be of
uniform velocity, having a constant rate of rotation at a constant velocity, and a
non-uniform velocity with a rate of rotation that is constantly changing.
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Friction:
Friction is the force that resists the relative motion or tendency of motion between two
objects in contact. It is a fundamental concept in physics and is present in various
aspects of everyday life. Friction is found by multiplying friction coefficient by normal
force.

Conservation of energy and momentum:

The law of conservation of energy is the law of physics that dictates the function of
interacting energies in a closed system. It states that the total energy in an isolated
system remains constant, meaning that energy itself in the system can be neither
created nor destroyed, only transferred from one form to another. Our roller coaster
presents us with this example as the energy of the system always remains constant. We
start with a certain amount of potential energy converted to an equal output of kinetic
energy. As the marble climbs hills, its kinetic energy is then transferred back to
gravitational potential energy before being transferred back to kinetic energy when it
goes down another drop of around a curve.
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The law of conservation of momentum is the law of physics that dictates how
momentum affects objects in closed systems. It states that the momentum of an isolated
system is constant and that if no net external force acts on the systems of objects, the
total momentum of the system cannot change. In the same way as energy, the total
momentum of the system can’t change as it is only defined by individual momenta
within it, all of which will always add up to the same constant value.

Spring constant:
The spring constant is the force needed to stretch or compress a spring, divided by the
distance that the spring gets longer or shorter. It's used to determine stability or
instability in a spring, and therefore the system it's intended for.

We needed to use a spring to “catch” the marble at the end of our ride, instead we used
a water wheel to disperse the kinetic energy of the marble and come to a complete stop.

Here is the image:

The marble slides under the wheel and turns it, reducing its velocity significantly. We
decided to add this part because it complimented our theme of Hotwheels and racing
theme.

Physics principles behind the rollercoaster:

Roller coasters operate by utilizing many physics concepts, such as gravity and kinetic
energy, to move the cars that travel along the track. Cars are typically pulled to the top
of a hill or drop by a pulley system, which provides the car with potential energy as it
approaches the top of the hill or drop. Once the car is propelled down the hill, the
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potential energy it had at the top is converted into kinetic energy, causing it to travel at
high speeds along the track with nothing stopping it. Another physics concept known as
the law of conservation of energy can explain this. As the car moves along the track, it
undergoes an energy transition from kinetic to potential energy. The centripetal force is
another concept used in roller coasters that allow cars to move smoothly and quickly
along any curved path, such as turns or horizontal loops. Also, roller coasters are
subject to centripetal force which keeps the roller coaster car in the center of the track
when there is a turn. Gravitational force is what keeps the momentum of the roller
coaster when it is going up or down. Gravitational force is one of the most important
parts of the roller coaster when it comes to physics. Friction in a roller coaster helps
slow down the roller coaster at crucial points such as sharp turns and near stops.

Safety and environmental impact of the roller coaster:

Roller Coasters also have detrimental safety and environmental effects. For example,
they create a lot of noise pollution due to the materials they are constructed with, which
are oftentimes metal. The cars going on the metal tracks cause noise which can be
harmful to the riders as well as people living near the amusement park because roller
coasters are on average 100 decibels loud, which can be harmful to our ears. Roller
coasters are also a risk for people with heart problems as the rides can increase blood
pressure and heart rate which could lead to mortality. People with spinal injuries are at a
greater risk of worsening their injuries. Roller coasters can also cause mortality for
people who experienced brain aneurysms or a stroke. The initial building of a roller
coaster itself has environmental impacts, such as disturbing and ruining natural habitats
and ecosystems. In addition to this, many roller coasters are not eco-friendly because of
the steel and concrete used to make them, if they are not produced sustainably. The
energy consumption of roller coasters is immense; so, this causes a great deal of
greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Examples of roller coaster disasters in the past:

Example 1-
An example of a roller coaster disaster is the Overseas China Town East theme park
accident, which occurred on June 29th, 2010. The “Space Journey” Roller coaster was
designed to make people feel like they were in a rocket going to space, but instead, on
that specific day, about 12 of the cars of the roller coaster became loose while spinning
and caused six people to be ejected and killed. This tragic incident can be explained
using physics. When a roller coaster is in motion and working, three primary forces are
acting on it, which are gravity, friction, and centripetal force. These three forces keep the
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riders and the cars in place, causing them not to be ejected. In this case, the roller
coaster cars became loose, causing the Riders to not stay in place, and they were
thrown out of the car because of the force of inertia. the person's body wants to keep
moving in the direction where it was going at first, but since there is no constraint, the
person's body goes flying off of the cars. Also, the speed and angle where a roller
coaster car is going can affect the ejection tremendously. For example, if the car is
going down at a 90-degree angle and it is going at a fast speed, then the rider will be
thrown out and have a minimal chance of survival. Whereas, if the car was going up at a
low speed, there would be a higher chance of survival.

Example 2-
The Smiler roller coaster accident on June 2, 2015, at Alton Towers theme park in the
United Kingdom was a significant incident that gained widespread attention. The
accident resulted in injuries to several passengers and had a profound impact on the
amusement park industry in terms of safety measures and public perception.
During the incident, a loaded train on The Smiler collided with an empty, stationary train
on the same track. The collision occurred at a relatively low speed but caused
significant injuries to the riders involved. Four passengers suffered severe injuries,
including leg amputations and other serious trauma, while several others sustained less
severe injuries.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the accident was primarily caused by
human error. An operator mistakenly overrode a safety system and restarted the ride
while a train still occupied a section of track. The collision occurred because the safety
system had not detected the stationary train due to the override. The investigation also
revealed shortcomings in the park's safety protocols and training procedures.

Example 3-
Another example of a rollercoaster incident is the Superman of Steel ride in Darien Lake
that took place on July 8, 2011. An army veteran who had served in Iraq had suffered
injuries that caused both of his legs to be amputated and got onto the roller coaster
called the "Superman of Steel." This ride goes up to 208 feet and has a top speed of 70
miles per hour. When the army veteran got onto this ride and got buckled in, he thought
he was all set and it was 100% safe for him to be on the ride, but he was wrong. To
ensure that no one gets injured on roller coasters or is ejected, proper restraints are put
in place, which keeps the riders strapped in. These restraints are made for able-bodied
people, but this veteran was not one of them. Since he was not restrained properly, the
force of gravity and centripetal forces were not able to keep the rider in place because
he didn't have legs, and his whole body wasn't strapped in, causing an imbalance of
forces which led to this veteran being ejected from the ride. As we know, inertia plays a
big part in cars and roller coasters, and in this case, the rider's body was in motion, but
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due to him not having legs, the force holding him down and restraints were not at a
state of equilibrium.

Conclusion:
Veer Prajapati: In conclusion, the roller coaster project taught us a lot about physics. This
project allowed us to apply physics concepts such as energy, momentum, and gravity to the
design of a rollercoaster. We were able to more thoroughly understand the forces at work
that affect the motion of many of our favorite roller coasters, such as those in Canada's
Wonderland, through our research and experimentation with building the rollercoaster.
Overall, this project has contributed to a better understanding of physics and its real-world
applications.

Haseeb Akber: In conclusion, the project of creating a working marble roller coaster has
provided a fascinating exploration into the principles of physics and engineering. By
constructing a track that allows a marble to travel along a series of twists, turns, loops, and
ramps, we have witnessed firsthand the application of fundamental concepts such as
gravity, potential and kinetic energy, and friction.

Satya Yenduri: In conclusion, the roller coaster was a good way for me to understand the
physics in our daily life and how it helps us build structures such as roller coasters for our
own entertainment purposes. I was able to get a good understanding of how energy
momentum, various forces, and other physics concepts are taken into consideration when
building the roller coaster. Overall, I think through this project I was able to reflect back on
the concepts I’ve learned in grade 11/12 physics and use it to get an understanding in order
to build upon through my post-secondary education and past that as well.

Malisha Walakulu Arachchi: In conclusion, the roller coaster project provided an excellent
opportunity to apply the principles we’ve been learning in constructive tasks, where we must
take into account the laws and limitations of physics to construct a coaster that works
effectively. Building the coaster really helped us visualize these fundamental principles
outside of the realm of calculations, though they certainly were a huge aspect of the project.
Visualizing the movement of the marble, the velocity it carried, and thinking “would it be able
to take a loop of this size?” “Is the carried momentum enough to take the banked curve?”
“Are we analyzing the marble’s overall movement characteristics and designing the track
accordingly?” was incredibly fun, involved and allowed to really live out the concepts we’ve
only been seeing in word problems and test questions. The project allowed us to show our
understanding of physics principles outside of calculations and in the realm of application
and design, something that will be ever so important for my post-secondary education, as I
am entering the field of mechanical engineering.