Roller coasters utilize a high hill dropdown to gain as much of the potential energy possible before the roller coaster goes. As the roller coaster goes down the hill, the potential energy from the height will be converted into kinetic energy with the help of gravity. This allows the roller coaster to gain enough speed and momentum to go up smaller hills and loops. If a hill is higher than the dropdown height, it is likely that the roller coaster will not have enough kinetic energy to climb up the hill since some of the energy will be converted into heat energy through friction, decreasing the total potential and kinetic energy the roller coaster has as it goes around the track. Foshee, 2020 -. Loops are an exciting part of the roller coaster ride and engineers utilize the centripetal force generated to keep us in our seats. When the roller coaster goes at a constant speed around the …show more content…
This force keeps the roller coaster and passengers on the track without falling, especially at the top of the loop. Centripetal force allows engineers to design loops that the roller coaster can go through safely by calculating whether the loop can generate enough centripetal force when the roller coaster goes through the loop. Centipedal Force: Roller Coaster Loops, n.d. As the science of roller coasters is known to many more people, engineers compete to make more thrilling roller coasters, and one innovation that made roller coaster designs more flexible is the hydraulic launch. Hydraulic launch utilizes a pump to quickly pump hydraulic fluid into accumulators. This creates pressure in the accumulators and when the pressure is released, it makes motors start moving rapidly and rotates a winch drum. As the winch rotates, the cable attached to the catch car beneath the roller coaster moves the roller coaster quickly into the track, making a quick start and creating