Hot Wheel Physics
D
E
A
B
C
1. What kind of potential energy does the car have initially at point A? How do you know?
2. What kind of energy does the car have at part B? How do you know?
3. What kind of energy does the car have at part C? How do you know?
4. What kind of energies are at point D? How do you know?
5. What kind of energies does the car have at point E? How do you know?
6. Where is the greatest gravitational potential energy?
7. How fast does the car have to be going to complete the loop?
8. How much work has to be done on the spring to get that velocity?
9. How much force has to be applied to load the spring?
10. How does the kinetic energy at the bottom of the 1st loop compare to the kinetic energy
at the bottom of the 2nd loop?
11. How might I increase the distance that the car projects?
12. Give a definition for the following
Potential energy –
Gravitational Potential Energy (with equation) –
Spring Potential Energy –
Chemical Potential Energy –
Kinetic Energy (with equation) –
13. What does it mean to conserve energy?
14. Give one more example of when energy is conserved.
Roller Coaster Physics
There is some interesting history (and physics) behind the gradual usage of
clothoid loops in roller coaster rides. In the early days of roller coaster
loops, circular loops were used. There were a variety of problems, some of
which were fatal, as the result of the use of these circular loops. Coaster
cars entering circular loops at high speeds encountered excessive normal
forces that were capable of causing whiplash and broken bones. Efforts to
correct the problem by lowering entry speeds resulted in the inability of
cars to make it around the entire loop without falling out of the loop when
reaching the top. The decrease in speeds as the cars ascended the large
circular loop resulted in coaster cars turning into projectile cars. The
solution to the problem involved using low entry speeds and a loop with a sharper curvature at
the top than at the bottom. Since clothoid loops have a continually changing radius, the radius is
large at the bottom of the loop and shortened at the top of the loop. The result is that coaster cars
can enter the loops at high speeds; yet due to the large radius, the normal forces do not exceed
3.5 g's. At the top of the loop, the radius is small thus allowing a lower speed car to still maintain
contact with the track and successfully make it through the loop. The clothoid loop is a testimony
to engineers' application of the centripetal acceleration equation - a = v2/R. Now that's physics
for better living!