Physics of Popular Amusement Park Rides
Amy Robertson
Fayette County
Abstract
When one enters an amusement park, one walks into a world of
physics. All the rides are governed by the laws and equations
formulated by physicists over a course of hundreds of years. This
project focuses on rides that use the phenomenon of free fall to gain the
thrilling effects that riders get on such rides as the Skycoaster and the
Free Fall. The questions raised are which laws govern the behavior of
these rides, and how safe they really are.
To find the answers to these questions, one must indulge into the
world of physics. The hypotheses, or expected results, are that
kinematics and conservation of energy are the prominent factors
influencing the motions of the rides, and that the degree of
understanding of physics that the designers and builders have effects
the safety of the rides.
Kinematics is a set of equations that show the changes an object
undergoes between its initial and final positions, such as velocity,
acceleration and displacement. The law of Conservation of Energy
states that energy is neither gained nor lost, it is conserved. Although
the kinetic energy (energy of motion) and potential energy (stored
energy) may fluctuate, the total energy (PE + KE) remains the same.
An object that is in free fall is subject to only one force acting
upon it. This is the force of gravity, which causes a constant
acceleration towards the Earth's surface of 9.8 meters/second^2.
Because gravity is the only force acting on objects in free fall, objects
of all masses fall at the same rate. Rides such as the Skycoaster and the
Free Fall use this behavior to give riders the enjoyment of feeling
weightless for a period of time. In Amusement park rides, like in all
other motion requiring energy on earth, energy is conserved.
After research and experimentation, it is found to be true that
kinematics and conservation of energy are in fact the most prominent
aspects of physics that govern free fall amusement park rides. If the
engineers and construction workers that design and build these rides
have a qualified understanding of these laws and theories and know
how to apply them to their work, the rides should be safe and efficient.