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What is an example of inertia on a roller coaster?

Roller coasters are ruled by the Law of Inertia. Since an object at rest, stays at rest, at the beginning of the ride a stationary roller coaster is at rest and will need to be pushed or pulled along to get it started.



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When you go around a turn, you feel pushed against the outside of the car. This force is centripetal force and helps keep you in your seat. In the loop-the-loop upside down design, it's inertia that keeps you in your seat. Inertia is the force that presses your body to the outside of the loop as the train spins around.

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Gravity provides the energy source for a roller coaster and inertia is what keeps the roller coaster moving when the track is level or uphill.

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When you go down a steep drop on a roller coaster, or quickly crest a hill, you will feel weightless. This sensation is called airtime.

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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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As the roller coaster slows down (deceleration) due to friction between the wheels and the track or air rushing by, the forces a rider feels ease off.

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