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Where do you feel lightest on a rollercoaster?

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 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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Riders may experience weightlessness at the tops of hills (negative g-forces) and feel heavy at the bottoms of hills (positive g-forces). This feeling is caused by the change in direction of the roller coaster. At the top of a roller coaster, the car goes from moving upward to flat to moving downward.

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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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The best seat on a coaster, then, is a matter of personal taste. If you love the feeling of weightlessness, head for the back. If you want the best view of the action, head for the front. The cars in the middle provide the weakest ride, but it's a good bet you'll still have a good time.

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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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Riders may experience weightlessness at the tops of hills (negative g-forces) and feel heavy at the bottoms of hills (positive g-forces). This feeling is caused by the change in direction of the roller coaster.

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You Can Burn Calories Because they're so big, a lot of walking is needed to explore the entirety of these attractions. That's not all: according to a study conducted by the Thrill Laboratory shows that UK theme parks helped their rollercoaster-riders burn around something around 40 and 70 calories per ride!

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A Standup Coaster, Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America in Illinois (relocated in 2012 as Apocalypse to Six Flags America in Maryland), was the first they built in 1990. It's often difficult to spot if a standing coaster is Intamin or B&M, as both use the distinctive wide track and four across trains.

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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.

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This high g-force can push heads down and have blood rush from your brain down to your feet, which in turn lowers the oxygen level in your brain, which may lead to grey outs, loss of peripheral vision (known as tunnel vision), or temporary blindness.

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“As we get older, the vestibular system gets less efficient, meaning it doesn't respond as easily to motion of the head or to movement around us. Normally the inner ear responds to movement automatically, so we aren't aware that it is working until the movement is too much for our vestibular system to handle.

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“As far as an age limit, though, if you are physically healthy and up for the thrill, there is likely no greater risk for someone who is 60 than there is for someone who is 20.” The largest concern for those who indulge in roller coasters is the after effects.

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According to clinical psychologist Judy Kurianski, high tempo rides expose us to “good fear.” Our brains perceive the drops and heart-stopping twists to be “safe” and “predictable,” so riding these thrill rides becomes therapeutic, especially as we scream out our anxieties.

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