Did you know that a roller coaster is more than just a scary – or fun – ride in an amusement park? That's right. While roller coasters are fun to ride, they are also very carefully designed using the science of physics.
Do you know physics is all about?
Physics is the scientific study of many things, such as motion, force, energy, light and sound. It includes gravity, friction and speed – all things that contribute to the way roller coasters operate.
Let's look a bit closer at how roller coasters came to be and what causes them to do the things they do.
The First Roller Coaster :
The very first roller coaster wasn't like the ones we ride today – sleek metal cars travelling upside down and sideways at high speeds over water and way up in the sky. Instead, the original "scream machines" (as they are sometimes called) were huge wooden sleds that slid down ice-covered mountains !
Roller Coaster Rides Get More Daring – and Faster!
In the 1920s, roller coasters were a big draw at many large amusement parks, including ones in Chicago and on the beaches. Some reached speeds of well over 60 miles per hour. At this time, roller coasters were made out of wood.
IN DISNEY LAND ;
Roller coasters and amusement parks in general had a rough time of it. Many closed. But then, a man named Walt Disney had a dream – he wanted to build an amusement park that would be the greatest one of them all – and he did: Disneyland.
Theme Parks – and Coasters, Everywhere!
Many followed Disney's lead and now there are theme, or amusement, parks everywhere. And, as new parks opened, new types of roller coasters were developed. Today, many roller coaster rides are much different from the original free-fall down a frozen slope comprising the first coaster.
The Scientific Theory Behind the Coasters
Roller coasters usually don't have engines. Surprised? Seems hard to believe, but most of them travel safely around the track strictly by using gravity, friction and speed.
How does that work?
It converts potential energy to kinetic energy – all of the energy a roller coaster needs to run around the tracks.
Huh?
Potential energy is easy to understand. It's the amount of energy an object possesses relative to it's mass and how high it is from the ground. Take a chapter from Issac Newton and drop an apple to the ground from a height of one foot, then two, then three and so on. Each time you drop the apple, you will have a more forceful landing because the apple's potential energy increases each time.
| Fastest Roller Coasters |
| Two of the fastest roller coasters are Steel Force and the Desperado. The Desperado is in Buffalo Bills Resort, and Steel Force is in Dorney Park. They both go 80 miles per hour. They are the fastest coasters out of steel and wooden roller coasters. The fastest looping roller coaster is the Viper. It goes 70 miles per hour. |
Tallest Roller Coasters |
| The two tallest roller coasters are Steel Force and the Desperado. They are 225 feet tall. They are the tallest out of wooden and steel roller coasters. The tallest wooden coaster is Hercules. It is 175 feet tall. The first coaster to top 200 feet was Magnum XL-200. There are only seven roller coasters currently operating that reach 200 ft. tall. They are Magnum XL-200, The Pepsi Max Big One, The Desperado, Fujiyama, Wild Thing, Manhattan Express, and Steel Force. |
| Weird Things About Coasters |
| There once was a man who did not talk for six years because of shell shock, but after a ride on the Coney Island Cyclone, he told his friend, "I feel sick." There used to be a roller coaster track that people could drive their car on. A long time ago there was a roller coaster that jumped a gap, but it was banned because the jump would vary according to the weight of the people. Some of the items people find under roller coasters besides wallets, change, and keys are glass eyes, fake legs, brassieres and false teeth. |
Best Theme Parks |
| The park with the best and most roller coasters is Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California and Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas each have ten roller coasters. Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia, Six Flags Over Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, Paramount Kings Island on Kings Island, Ohio, and Paramount Canada`s Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario each have eight coasters. |
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So lets catch our ride ;)
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