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How much more gravitational potential energy does a roller coaster have at the top of a 72m hill and has a mass of 96.6kg?
The coaster has more gravitational potential energy at the top than it has at the
bottom. The difference is
M G (h2 - h1) = (96.6) x (9.8) x (the distance between the top of the hill and the bottom of the hill)
If that "72m" is actually the distance between the top and the bottom of the hill,
then the coaster has 68,210 joules more PE at the top than it has at the bottom.
If it doesn't lose any of it to friction on the way down, then that entire juicy 68,210 J
is available to be turned into kinetic energy on the way down. How fast could it be
going when it gets to the bottom of the hill ?
KE = 1/2 M V2 = 68,210
1/2 M = 48.3 kg
Divide each side of the KE equation by 48.3 :
V2 = 1,412.2 (m/s)2
V = 37.58 meters/second
That's 84 miles per hour !
Note:
You didn't say anything about the mass of the people in the coaster car,
or even whether there's anybody in it. If there are riders in the car, then
their mass naturally adds to the mass of the car. The chain has to do more
work to drag it up the hill, it has more gravitational PE when it gets there,
and it's moving faster when it returns to the bottom.
What else can I help you with?
Situation in which gravitational potential energy might be useful?
A roller coaster
How is energy transferred from potential to kinetic on a roller coaster?
Energy is transferred from potential to kinetic on a roller coaster as the coaster descends from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. As the coaster moves downwards, gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. This energy transfer allows the coaster to gain speed and momentum.
When does the string of a car on a roller coaster store its maximum gravitational potential energy?
Any object has maximum gravitational potential energy when it is at its highest position.
Where does a roller coaster have the least kinetic energy?
At the tallest point on the track. Potential energy is given by U(Which is potential energy) = mass times height time gravitational constant. You can't change the gravitational constant, or the mass of the roller coaster car. So you have to change the height. PE=mgh so more the height and the mass the more PE
Where is potential energy on a roller coaster?
When the roller coaster is at its highest position and is not moving then its potential energy is highest
On a Roller Coaster where is the potential energy?
When the roller coaster is at its highest position and is not moving then its potential energy is highest
What type of energy does the roller coaster have when it reaches the top of a hill?
When a roller coaster reaches the top of a hill, it possesses gravitational potential energy due to its elevated position. This energy is at its maximum at the peak, as it has the potential to convert to kinetic energy as the coaster descends. As the coaster goes down, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases, allowing it to gain speed.
Why do roller coasters end lower than where they start?
Since the top of the first hill is the highest point on the track, it's also the point at which the roller coaster's gravitational potential energy is greatest. As the roller coaster passes over the top of the first hill, its total energy is greatest. Most of that total energy is gravitational potential energy but a small amount is kinetic energy, the energy of motion. From that point on, the roller coaster does two things with its energy. First, it begins to transform that energy from one form to another--from gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and from kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy, back and forth. Second, it begins to transfer some of its energy to its environment, mostly in the form of heat and sound. Each time the roller coaster goes downhill, its gravitational potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases. Each time the roller coaster goes uphill, its kinetic energy decreases and its gravitational potential energy increases. But each transfer of energy isn't complete because some of the energy is lost to heat and sound. Because of this lost energy, the roller coaster can't return to its original height after coasting downhill. That's why each successive hill must be lower than the previous hill. Eventually the roller coaster has lost so much of its original total energy that the ride must end. With so little total energy left, the roller coaster can't have much gravitational potential energy and must be much lower than the top of the first hill.
Where is potential energy the highest on a roller coaster?
The potential energy is highest at the top of the first hill or peak of the roller coaster because it is at its maximum height above the ground. As the roller coaster descends, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as the car gains speed.
How do gravity and potential energy work together to give you a great ride on a roller coaster?
the gravitational potential energy of a roller coaster is equal to two things. Not only is it equal to the gravitational potential energy, it is also equal to the kinetic energy at the lowest point of the coaster. the gravitational potential energy can be calculated as: m*g*h where m is mass (kilograms), g is gravity (9.8 m/s^2), and h is height (metres).d the kinetic energy at the bottom of the coaster can be calculated as (m*v^2)/2 where m is mass (kilograms), v is velocity (metres/second).
What device changes gravitational potential to kinetic energy?
A simple example would be a roller coaster. As the coaster climbs up a hill, potential energy due to its height increases. When it goes down the hill, this potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as the coaster gains speed.
What does potential energy do with a roller coaster?
When the roller coaster - or any object, for that matter - is at its highest point, it has more potential energy than when it is at a lower point.
