What happens if the second hill is taller than the first hill?

I the height of the second hill is higher than the first one, then it needs additional energy to climb the second hill. The coaster keeps on losing energy from air resistance and rolling friction between the rails and the coaster wheels and will eventually come to rest.



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(d) Due to frictional lost, the mechanical energy of the coaster has decreased, so the second hill has to be lower than the first one.

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Each gain in height corresponds to the loss of speed as kinetic energy (due to speed) is transformed into potential energy (due to height). Each loss in height corresponds to a gain of speed as potential energy (due to height) is transformed into kinetic energy (due to speed).

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Minimum height limits for some amusement rides are already dangerously low. Accident reports from state safety agencies show that children who barely meet the height limit are at significantly higher risk for falls and ejections from moving rides.

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The first hill of a roller coaster is always the highest point of the roller coaster because friction and drag immediately begin robbing the car of energy. At the top of the first hill, a car's energy is almost entirely gravitational potential energy (because its velocity is zero or almost zero).

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Every roller coaster begins with a very high hill. The higher the hill, the greater the potential or stored energy of the roller coaster car. When the car reaches the bottom of the hill, the potential energy has been completely converted into kinetic energy which is the energy of motion.

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TMNT Shellraiser at 121.5 degrees It tops the list by dropping a mere half of a degree more than the coasters that follow it. To make the ride even more interesting, its cars hang over the edge of its 141-foot tower for 14 seconds before diving into the overbanked drop.

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At the bottom of the loop, gravity and the change in direction of the passenger's inertia from a downward vertical direction to one that is horizontal push the passenger into the seat, causing the passenger to once again feel very heavy.

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Basic mathematical subjects such as calculus help determine the height needed to allow the car to get up the next hill, the maximum speed, and the angles of ascent and descent. These calculations also help make sure that the roller coaster is safe. No doubt about it--math keeps you on track.

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Some people believe that screaming is cathartic (see primal scream therapy). Roller coasters provide a socially acceptable situation for screaming. No one is likely to hear you or care, and everyone else is doing it. And it makes the ride more exhilirating.

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