Roller Coaster Lab Write-Up

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.
Kimber, Bray 2
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

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● 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.

Kimber, Bray 4
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
Kimber, Bray 5
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.

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Kimber, Bray 1

Hailey Kimber and Beau Bray

Black Mamba: Understanding Roller Coaster Motion

creation of a model roller coaster.

● Toilet paper roll

1. Cut the foam pipe in half.

5. Twist the foam pipe into the correct shape.

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

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

Total Time Graph

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

Motion Component Descriptions

● Speed- velocity without designated direction

that points towards the center

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

object comes in contact with

● Friction Force- the force that resists relative motion

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

● Conservation of Energy- energy cannot be created or destroyed

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

1. Newton’s three laws of motion are:

acted upon by an outside force.

1.2. Force is equal to mass times acceleration

cart and the mass of the cart at the time

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

as a way to maintain constant motion.

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

particle equals the change in kinetic energy.

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

towards the center.

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