Name: Date: Block: Science 1|] Roller Coaster Simulation Assignment Click on the link below to access the simulation. Backggound information: Just as a bucket can ip upside down without losing the water inside, a roller coaster can perform a 'loopthe loop' without falling. How can this be so? Surely the coaster still feels the pull of gravity. when the coaster goes upside down on a curved loop, it is accelerating the whole time. We know this because its velocity is changing - even if it isn't speeding up, it is changing direction. You are part of a roller coaster engineer design team. Using the roller coaster simulation, you will adjust variables to determine what happens at certain points along the track in order to design a safe and enjoyable ride. Simulation Details: Mass of Coaster - This slider adjusts the mass of the roller coaster, which is related to the number of passengers in the cars. In the absence of frictionr the speed of the coaster at any point doesn't depend on the mass: increasing the mass increases both the potential and kinetic energy of the system. If there is friction in the system, the mass begins to matter. Hill Height - This slider adjusts the height of the first hill. No matter how high you make ity the machinery will do work to pull the coaster to this height and release it there. This sets the initial potential energy of the system - this is enough energy to get the coaster through to the very end. Loop Radius - This slider adjusts the radius of the loop. Energy Graph - This is a plot of the energetics of the system, as shown as a series of columns. The rst column shows the work done in lifting the coaster up to its height at the top of the hill. The work demonstrates a transfer of energy from the machinery powering the ride to the coaster carts. Now this energy is in gravitational potential form. As the coaster moves around the track, exchanges of energy occurr but the total energy of the system is constant. Fun Fact: 1Why are roller coaster loops teardrop shaped instead of circular? The loops are shaped so that they are tightest at the top, where your speed is least. If they were tight at the bottom of the loop* where you are moving most quickly [due to energy conse rvatjo n], the acceleration you'd feel would be too high perhaps high enough to cause you to pass out! Name: Date: Science 10 Questions: {Please answer all questions on a separate sheet of paper.l 1. Set the sliders so that the total energy of the roller coaster system is equal to 2.16 x 10' Joules. What mass and hill height did you choose? Show with a lull calculation. From what hill height does a 35m ltg coaster need to leave from to have a maximum speed of 44.?2 mfs? Think about where on the track the maximum speed would be lou nd. Show with a full calculation. Set your roller coaster mass to 1200 kg. Create a table in which you can record hill height, loop radius, and observations {stays on track the entire way. falls off in loo p. falls off on second hill]. Do a minimum of 10 trials where you vary hill height and loop radius. Use this information to answer questions at - 1'. What does it mean if the roller coaster falls off the track in the loop? How can you ensure the roller coaster "makes it\" around the loop? What does it mean if the roller coaster falls off the track when going over the last hill? Under what conditions [hill height and loop radius] will a 1200 kg coaster remain in contact with the traclts the entire ride? Want; A 12130 ltg car traveling with a velocity of 29 mp's drives horizontally off a 90 m cliff. a] Sketch the situation. b} Calculate the potential energy. the kinetic energy, and the mechanical energy of the car as it leaves the cliff. cl What will the car's velocity be. just before it hits the ground below the clill? d} Make a bar graph displaying the kinetic, gravitational potential. and mechanical {total} energy of the car at an m, 6t] m, and 50 m below the cliff. Refer to energy graph in the simulation for set up. Regular lined paper can be used if you don't have any graph paper. A 4000 kg roller coaster begins at rest 120 m above the ground. as shown. Assume no friction from the wheels and air, and that no energy is lost to heat. sound, and so on. The diameter of the loop is Kim. Find the speed of the roller coaster at points B. l'.. D. E. and H. Show all needed calculations to solve for each point. AsSume that 25% of the initial potential energy of the coaster is lost due to heat. sound, and air resistance along its route. How far short of point it will the coaster stop