Roller Coaster- 1st Challenge

Procedure

This demonstration includes a cart on a roller coaster track that has no added mass. The objective is to see whether the cart will fall of the track when it passes through the loop. This is one of the various practical experiments you can try on a roller coaster.

The Physics Behind It

The concept behind this challenge is energy.

The difference between the initial energy(E_o)and final energy(E_f) is what makes the cart stop.

This is the energy lost(E_lost). The energy lost can also be the change in energy.

Therefore...

E_lost=E_o-E_f

Then,

W_{done by friction}= mgh_o-mgh_f

Then,

W_{done by friction}is equal to the F_f. d

F_f=μ.N

F_f(Frictional Force)

d(distance moved)

N(Normal Force)

μ(coefficient of friction)

Materials

This link includes the materials and instructions on how to assemble the track.

Instructions Manual

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