2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays
THE PHYSICS OF THE ROLLER COASTER
the opposite of the lateral g-force to reduce the overall net force. This helps to keep the
passengers safe and not to slide to the sides too much (Palmer, 2019). The picture below
demonstrates the design of a banked turn with vectors illustrating forces.
Fig 1.5. (Palmer, 2019)
3. The experiment 3.1 Research question How does height of release relate to the maximum radius of a circular loop a ball bearing can circulate? 3.2 Purpose of the experiment(aim):
In order to explore the concept of how roller coaster uses gravitational potential energy, I had
set up an experiment which imitates elements of a roller coaster ride: a hill and a loop. With
the radius of the loop and height of release changes constantly, I can explore how roller
coaster gain sufficient energy to complete elements of a ride such as looping. In order to
explore these concepts, this experiment helps me to find the relationship between the height
of a release of a ball bearing and the maximum radius the ball can circulate.
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IB Diploma
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