Which hill on a roller coaster needs to be the highest?

Because of friction between the coaster cars and the track (not to mention air resistance as the cars move forward at great speed), the amount of mechanical energy available decreases throughout the ride, and that is why the first hill of a roller coaster must always be the tallest.



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Going above the height limitations could pose a serious risk to riders. The height limitation for most roller coasters is 6'4?. Some roller coasters do not allow riders over 6 feet tall because of their restraint systems..

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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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This places some limits on the design. For example, the coaster car can't go through a loop or over a hill that is taller than the initial hill because going higher would require more energy than it has available. If the track is too long, friction might eventually cause the coaster car to come to a complete stop.

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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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Absent other energy sources, like linear electric motors or kick wheels, the roller coaster gets all its energy from the chain that drags it up the initial hill. By the second hill, some energy has been lost to friction and there isn't enough to get over a hill that's higher than the first one.

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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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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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Mass does not make a roller coaster go faster but it does make it harder to slow down. This is why amusement parks test roller coasters with dummies filled with water. The water dummies increase the mass of the train making it harder for the resistance forces to slow it down so it's less likely to get stuck.

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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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All of our rides have minimum height requirements that range from 36 in. to 48 in. This difference of a foot can take a few years to get through, but most kids are able to start riding around the age of 4, and most should be tall enough to ride all rides by 8 or 9.

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It is a matter of size, not weight. If a person is too large to fit into the restraints, then they cannot ride. It depends on how a person is built. For example, a guy with a large chest may not be able to ride, but someone else that weighs more than him might.

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