In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton published the Principia. This book contained his three laws of motion, which changed mechanics forever. These three laws became the foundation of classical mechanics. Newton's three laws of motion have been proven over and over again in the last three centuries. They are the basis of many of our modern inventions.
The roller coaster, a modern invention that uses the laws of motion to thrilling ends, is one of the best uses of Newton's laws of motion. Roller coasters, with their twists, turns, and
loops, seem to defy everything we know about how people and objects move. Roller coaster designers, however, simply use Newton's laws to push people past their usual limits. Early roller coasters, like Coney Island's Flip Flap, even caused whiplash and broken necks due to abrupt, high g-forces.
Newton's first law is the law of inertia. This states that an object at rest stays at rest, or an object in motion stays in motion until unbalanced forces act upon it. Most roller coasters run by the law of inertia. Since an object at rest stays at rest, all roller coasters have to be pushed or pulled to get started. Most are pulled up a large hill called a lift hill. The first hill is usually the biggest hill. As the cars go uphill, they store potential energy. At the top, the cars have the largest amount of gravitational potential energy. They are about to be put into motion. Roller coaster cars will gain enough energy from the lift hill to be powered through the rest of the ride. Once put into motion, they will not stop until the brakes are applied at the end of the ride.
Newton's second law is the law of force and acceleration. This law states that the acceleration of an object depends on the object's mass and the magnitude of the force acting upon it (F = ma). You feel this second law when you start going down the hills. The coaster cars and your body have mass. The gravity provides acceleration, which causes force. The rider feels the force as it moves the cars along the coaster track. The track directs the force and the cars. The mass of your body and the coaster cars is constant. The amount of force changes due to changes in acceleration. The changes in acceleration are due mostly to friction. The thrill of acceleration on a roller coaster comes from Newton's second law.
Newton's third law of action-reaction states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that as you push down on the seat, the seat pushes back at you. This law really comes into play with newer roller coasters that expose riders to high g-forces. A “g-force” relates an acceleration on a body to the acceleration due to gravity. What happens in a two g-force turn? Your body will experience an acceleration twice as strong as the pull of gravity. Older roller coasters did not expose riders to very many g-forces. Newer roller coasters, however, can expose riders to very high g-forces. At least one death has been caused by a rider's body reacting to the g-forces on a roller coaster.
G-forces, like all forces, are not just acting on the things we can see. They are also acting on our blood and our blood vessels. Just as they push your body into the seat, they push your blood back away from your brain and toward your feet. G-forces can detach your retina and even make you pass out. As we use the laws of physics to create more exciting roller coasters, it will be important to keep in mind the limits of our human bodies.
QUESTION 1
What kind of statement is, “Roller coasters are one of the best uses of Newton's laws of motion”?
OPTIONS
A. An opinion
B. A fact
C. The truth
D. A question
B. A fact
What kind of statement is, “Roller coasters are one of the best uses of Newton's laws of motion”?
OPTIONS
An opinion
A fact
The truth
A question
A. An opinion
What conclusion can you make about g-forces based on the information in the last paragraph?
OPTIONS
G-forces help your heart to beat properly.
G-forces can be harmful to your health.
G-forces make the blood in your body rush to your head.
G-forces lift you out of the roller coaster seat.