DESIGN A ROLLERCOASTER

Objective:

You are a Rollercoaster designer who has entered a contest to design and build a model or make a poster of a rollercoaster. If your design is successful a new coaster will be built at Six Flags, using your design. Working alone or with a partner, you are to design an old fashioned wooden rollercoaster- one where the car is dragged to the top of the first hill using a chain lifting system. You will have to perform multiple calculations to figure out the following

  • the speed of the rollercoaster at the top and bottom off all hills or loops
  • the amount of time that it takes for the car to reach the top of the first hill when starting at the ground
  • the centripetal acceleration of all curves and loops
  • the g-force experienced by the riders at the top and bottom of the loops.
  • G-forces greater than 5 g’s can result in a loss of consciousness. Your design should be cognizant of this safety consideration.

Procedure:

Develop a model of you rollercoaster design. Your model could be a detailed poster or a freestanding 3-d coaster. On this model you will label each of the results of the above calculations along with appropriate supporting information, for example, hill heights and curve/loop radii. You may assume the mass of your rollercoaster to be anything that you wish (1000 kg is recommended for realism and ease of mathematics). You may also assume any initial velocity at the top of the first hill (a small value is recommended for realism). Along with your model will be a page (or two) of calculations that support the labels you have placed on your model. The power of the motor that is to bring the rollercoaster to the top of the first hill is 12 kW. There is a minimum requirement of four hills in the rollercoaster along with one curve. You may include more if you wish, but they must be labeled as well.

Grading:

The correctness of your calculations will be graded as well as your ability to follow the above directions. All models should be brought to me by April 8th 2019. No late submissions will be accepted.

As an incentive, all class designs will be voted on by an all-star science faculty judging panel. Extra credit points will be awarded to the three designs voted most popular among the panel. Three points extra credit will be given to the first place design. Two points will be given to the second place design. One point will be given to the third place design.