Question

Problem solving with mechanical energy conservation

If mechanical energy is conserved, it gives us an equation that can be helpful in solving problems.

The Sidewinder is a simple roller coaster at Elitch Gardens in Denver, CO. The coaster goes down a hill, around a loop, and back up a hill. It stops and then doubles back, taking riders backwards through the loop again. Normally a roller coaster has to start much higher than the top of the loop to ensure the coaster is going fast enough in the loop to not fall. But the Sidewinder, whose initial height is the same as the top of the loop, gets around this issue by using a compressed spring to launch the coaster.

The springs have an effective overall spring constant of about 660 N/m (similar to what is used in car shocks). At the bottom of the 47 foot drop, the coaster is going 45 mph. When the coaster is full of people, it has a mass of 2520 kg.

1. At the beginning of the ride, before the coaster is launched, what kind(s) of energy does the coaster have?

a) Kinetic energy

b) Gravitational potential energy

c) Spring potential energy

2. At the bottom of the hill, what kind(s) of energy does the coaster have?

a) Kinetic energy

b) Gravitational potential energy

c) Spring potential energy

3. Given the equations for various kinds of energy given at the beginning of the lab and in the videos, calculate the amount by which the spring must be compressed in order for the coaster to be going 45 mph at the bottom of the hill.

Note: you'll want to convert feet to meters and mph to m/s.

Answer 1