Mechanical Energy encompasses both Kinetic and Potential energies. A roller coaster is a perfect example of both. At the very top of a hill, the roller coaster has a lot of potential energy due to position above the earth. As it goes down a hill, this potential energy decreases as it gets closer to the earth, and it's kinetic energy increases as it gets faster.
KE = energy of motion
PE = potential energy due to position above the earth
ME = KE+PE
Well, to understand what a roller coaster does you will need to understand what a roller coaster is. A roller coaster is a small vehicle that runs along a fixed track. What a roller coaster does is move along that fixed track at very high speeds, and many people find this very thrilling And if your wondering how a roller coaster works Well, there are 2 types of roller coaster, most commonly the Chain Lift, The chain lift works by hooks on the bottom of the roller coaster car that hook on to a roller chain (the type of chain you would find on a bicycle) and the chain pulls you all the way to the top of the big hill, This is the part where you hear all the clicking. As you start going down the big hill the hooks simply slide out of the chain and gravity starts to take over, but the roller coaster can stay moving because of Kinetic energy and Potential energy. So the 3 things that are very important to a Roller Coaster are Kinetic energy, Potential energy, and gravity. A roller coaster works sort of like rolling a ball down a hill. For info on the launched roller coaster check out the related links.
When you are going down you have the most potential energy because the roller coaster and the speed is helping you go faster!
The part of a roller coaster that reaches the highest speed is typically the point where the coaster is at its lowest point, known as the bottom of a drop.
If in roller coaster designer you get the coaster to go underground, then that's the problem. If you load that coaster you can't put a part of it underground.
The height of hills affect the roller coaster by the amount of gravitational potential energy that is collected while rising. The more GPE you amass as you ascend, the more kinetic energy is affected. GPE=(mass)(9.81m/s2)(height). Therefore, the higher the hill, the greater the potential energy. The greater the GPE, the more speed (Kinetic Energy) is able to be used.
That would be a section of the steel track installed at the top of the first hill.
A part where the riders go upside-down.
A part where the riders go upside-down.
That will depend on which part of the roller coaster you're talking about. The moving parts (the cars and the driving mechanisms etc) will be designed by a mechanical engineer. The structure of the roller coaster itself (the towers and trackway and the foundations on which it stands) will be designed by a civil engineer.
Wonder Woman - 1975 Phantom of the Roller Coaster Part 1 3-23 was released on: USA: 4 September 1979
Wonder Woman - 1975 Phantom of the Roller Coaster Part 2 3-24 was released on: USA: 11 September 1979
The Tiger & Turtle is a roller-coaster at Magic Mountain Germany. It has steps and slopes that are climbed with human power - in other words, you walk on it. It is a 69-foot roller coaster, which puts the visitor 148 feet above the surrounding countryside of Duisbu, Germany. There is an upside-down loop on the coaster, but you can't actually walk on that part.