Roller Coaster Project
You have formed an amusement park consulting company. You have been asked
by the president of Busch Gardens to develop a roller coaster that will rival the
best of the world, draw in large crowds and beat the world speed record for roller
coasters.
To do this you will have to use all the physics you have learned so far about
motion and forces, as well as learn about some new concepts, potential and
kinetic energy. Your design will be judged based on several factors while it will
also be competing against the other designs in the class. Each roller coaster is to
be drawn out and analyzed as a poster.
The design of each coaster must have the minimum features of:
 1 starting hill, 1 loop, 3 hills after the starting hill.
Each poster will need to have the following pieces of data:
 A drawn out roller coaster shape showing heights of each part of track
above the ground.
 Each roller coaster car has a standard mass of 1000kg.
 The calculated Potential NRG of the coaster at the top of each hill.
 The calculated Kinetic NRG of the coaster at the top of each hill.
 The calculated Potential NRG at the bottom of each hill.
 The calculated Kinetic NRG at the bottom of each hill.
 The calculated Potential NRG at the top and bottom of each loop.
 The calculated Kinetic NRG at the top and bottom of each loop.
 The calculated speed of the roller coaster at the top of each hill.
 The calculated speed of the roller coaster at the bottom of each hill.
 The calculated speed of the roller coaster at the bottom and the top of
each loop.
Your design analysis is not to include the effects of friction on the roller coaster
car. Each of the values calculated are to have the calculations shown on the back
of the poster to demonstrate that you understand how each value was
determined. The calculations will be counted toward your grade.
The winning coaster will be based on the correctness of data, maximum speed
and safety of the riders.
Bonus:
For an extra 5 points, determine the normal force that would be experienced by a
75 kg person at the very top and the very bottom of the loop in your roller
coaster.
Project Score sheet
0
Potential NRG of the
Not
coaster at the top of each found
hill
Kinetic NRG of the
Not
coaster at the top of each found
hill.
Potential NRG at the
Not
bottom of each hill.
found
1
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Found but
incorrect and no
work shown
Potential NRG at the top
and bottom of each loop
Not
found
Kinetic NRG at the top
and bottom of each loop
Not
found
Speed of the roller
coaster at the top of each
hill
Speed of the roller
coaster at the bottom of
each hill.
Speed of the roller
coaster at the bottom
and the top of each loop.
Not
found
Correct number of loops
Not
present
Only
1 hill
starting
hill
One color used
Correct number of hills
Design and presentation
of roller coaster
Not
found
Not
found
2
Found but incorrect
with work shown
3
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
Found but incorrect
with work shown
Completely
correct
present
2 hills
All hills
Multiple methods
used to depict the
results
Vivid colors
and exciting
design of
coaster.