The Physics of Roller Coasters Roller coasters have their origins in Russia during the 1600s. People built wooden sleds and built hills made of blocks of ice. The hills had sand at the bottom to slow the sleds so they wouldn't crash once they reached the base of the hill.1 Over time, roller coasters became more complex. They are now taller, faster and are designed with different materials such as wood and steel. While roller coasters are fun and thrilling, the question is: what allows them to twist and turn, go up and down hills at a good enough speed? Why don't they fall off the track when it goes around? The answer to these and other roller coaster questions lies in the application of basic physical principles. These principles include potential and kinetic energy, gravity, velocity, projectile motion, centripetal acceleration, friction, and inertia. The basic design of a roller coaster consists of a train like roller coaster that starts at the bottom of the ride's highest hill. The train is then pulled up the hill and is pulled to the top of the hill. As the train is dragged from the bottom of the hill to the top, the potential energy of the train is converted into kinetic energy. Potential energy is defined as "the energy of an object at a height h above a zero level equal to the work done by the force of gravity"2 (139). Kinetic energy is the energy of “an object…due to its motion”2 (132). As the distance between the ground and the train of cars increases, the potential energy of the train also increases. This increase in potential energy increases the amount of kinetic energy that can be released into the system, thus causing the system to be ... ... half of the paper ...... exhausted causing the train to stop. So, as you can see, a roller coaster is an excellent example of the use of energy forces in one system and how they interact with one another to cause motion and stop the motion of objects. If these forces were not present, then we would have a very difficult time doing anything because there would be no way to start the movement and if there was movement it would be very difficult to stop it. Works Cited1. Annenberg/CPB. The Physics of the Amusement Park “Roller Coaster History”: What are the forces behind the fun? Learner.org http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster2.html. . April 29, 2003.2. Kirkpatrick, Larry D. and Gerald F. Wheeler. Physics: A Worldview. and. 4. Harcourt College Publishers. Fort Worth. 2001.3. Britannica online. “Roller coaster physics. http://search.eb.com/coasters/fisica/. May 1, 2003.