Do you feel heavier or lighter at the top of a roller coaster loop?

Roller coasters are generally designed to have non-zero but fairly small normal forces at the top, so a rider feels almost weightless. At the bottom of the loop, the apparent weight can be considerably larger than mg, so a rider feels much heavier than usual.



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The normal force however has a small magnitude at the top of the loop (where the rider often feels weightless) and a large magnitude at the bottom of the loop (where the rider often feels heavy).

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The same can be said for this phenomenon on roller coasters. “You feel very light at the top of loops, but heavier than usual at the bottom” (Boston University).

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The centripetal acceleration always points towards the center of the circle. So at the bottom of the circle, the centripetal acceleration is pointing up, so riders feel heavier than their true weight. At the top of the circle, it is pointing down, so riders feel lighter than their true weight.

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The sensation roller coaster riders experience that makes them feel like they're being pushed into their seats as they go through a loop is commonly referred to as centrifugal force, although it isn't a force at all. It's the result of observing one's motion relative to the object in which one is traveling.

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In a typical coaster design, the riders in the front car get an unobstructed view of all these obstacles whipping past them. In a coaster that has seats facing backward, the rear car offers the best of both worlds -- you get a great view and the most intense ride.

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As your coaster tops a hill, the front car will seem to hang over the edge, but the rear car will whip over much faster. The middle seats have the weakest ride in terms of view and speed but they'll give you everything the seats in the front and the back do at just a little less intensity.

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A. Airtime – A favorite term for roller coaster enthusiasts! It's used to describe the feeling created by negative g-forces which gives riders the sensation of floating on a roller coaster. Airtime or negative g-forces are most commonly experienced on a drop or at the crest of hill.

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A few do, with limits around 250 or 300 lbs. But the cat majority use their restraint systems to prohibit larger would-be-riders from riding. If you have ever ridden a B&M roller coaster with over-the-shoulder harnesses (think Batman: the ride), then you've seen the belts that attach the seats to the harnesses.

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The best place to sit on a roller coaster is the front row because it has both the greatest values of negative Z acceleration and the greatest time spent in free fall.

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The middle seats will give you everything the seats in the front and the back do at just a little less intensity. Plus, a ride in the middle makes you feel less isolated since people are all around you. Try this seat if you are unsure about the other two.

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Balance is determined by your inner ear struggling to keep you aligned with a level plane so, no, closing your eyes will not assist whenever you're struggling with balance concerns on a roller coaster. Induced vertigo, however, is probably what's causing the most difficulties on a roller coaster.

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People with high blood pressure and/or heart conditions are warned not to ride roller coasters because of the way they tax the cardiovascular system. The adrenaline rush that roller coasters give you causes a rapid spike in your heart rate and blood pressure.

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