Physics 1110,
General Physics 1
There's a lot of good physics in
amusement park rides ! Shown here is the
first roller coaster in the US to
feature a vertical loop. Is there any danger that passengers might
fall out at the top? (What if someone's seat belt, or safety bars,
wasn't properly fastened?) FYI - at the top of the loop shown, they are
going about 45 mph. Look at the picture and try to estimate the radius
of curvature [hint: you can see people in the cars, which lets you
visually guess the scale]. Then you can figure out the resulting
centripetal acceleration at the top. Does your number
come out more or less than "g"?
What
SHOULD it be for a safe ride? If you bring a
water bottle with you, and you leave it open, will the water spill out
at the top of the loop?
