Energy, Work and Power - Blue3 Academy

What Makes A Roller Coaster Go Vroom?

Roller coasters are giant playgrounds where the magic truly comes to life! So, buckle up and get ready to join us on an exciting ride as we dive deeper into how these thrilling attractions effortlessly demonstrate the incredible world of energy. Along the way, we’ll uncover fascinating concepts that make every twist and turn even more exhilarating!

What Is Energy? How Do Roller Coasters Use It?

Energy is the ability to do work and it exists in multiple forms! We measure it in scalar units of Joule (J). Let’s take a closer look at the different types that exists in roller coasters:

Types	Definition	How it is used in Roller Coasters
Kinetic Energy (KE)	The energy that is possessed by an object due to its motion.	KE is what you feel as the roller coaster car speeds along the tracks.
Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE)	The energy stored due to an object’s position in a gravitational field.	GPE is stored when the roller coaster car is high up on a hill, just waiting to drop.
Thermal Energy (TE)	The energy that is related to the temperature of objects.	TE is released as heat due to the friction between the roller coaster wheels and the track.
Elastic Potential Energy (EPE)	The energy stored in an elastic material when it is stretched or compressed.	EPE is stored in the roller coaster’s springs and safety harnesses, keeping you secure and snug during the ride.

The Magic of Energy Conservation

One of the most thrilling aspects of roller coasters is how vividly they demonstrate the Principle of Conservation of Energy. Essentially, this principle acts like the roller coaster’s rulebook: it explains that energy cannot be created or destroyed; rather, it is continuously transformed from one form to another, while the total amount in the system always remains constant.

Here’s how it works.

As your roller coaster car climbs up a hill, it stores GPE. At the peak of the hill, the car reaches its maximum GPE. Once the coaster begins its thrilling descent, this stored energy transforms into KE, causing the car to speed up. As the ride continues and the coaster climbs new hills, the KE shifts back into GPE. Throughout the entire experience, although the forms change, the total amount remains constant, perfectly demonstrating how the Principle of Conservation of Energy works in action.

How Efficient Is It?

It’s defined as the ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input.

When it comes to roller coasters, power efficiency measures how effectively the ride converts energy from one form to another while minimising energy losses. Ideally, a roller coaster should convert GPE into KE with maximum efficiency. However, real-world factors such as friction and air resistance lead to unavoidable energy losses.

Thanks to modern technology, roller coasters are now designed with efficient conversion in mind. Engineers use smooth tracks and aerodynamic designs to minimise these losses, all while maximising the thrill of the ride!

To calculate the efficiency, use the following formula:

Efficiency = Energy converted to useful output ÷ Total energy input

Formulas You Must Know

Want to know the maths behind the fun? Here are some key formulas that you should know!

Work done is all about converting energy from one form to another! In fact, it’s defined as the product of force and the distance moved in the direction of that force. To put it simply, work done represents how much energy is transferred or converted during a process. Consequently, understanding work is essential to grasp how energy moves and changes form in various systems.

The formula for work done is:

Work Done = F x d,

whereby F = force and d = distance moved in the direction of the force.

Lifting the roller coaster up the first big hill does work to move it upwards. In other words, this is the energy required to get the coaster car to the top of the hill. Once it reaches the peak, this stored GPE is then converted into a thrilling ride as the car races down the tracks! In this way, energy is constantly being transformed to fuel the excitement of the ride.

Power, on the other hand, measures how quickly work is done or how rapidly energy changes from one form to another. To calculate power, you can use the following formulas:

Power = Work Done ÷ Time

Power = Change in Energy ÷ Time

In the context of roller coasters, power tells us how fast the energy is being converted into its thrilling motion and speed!

From Thrills to Physics

So the next time you’re on a roller coaster, remember that you’re not just having fun, you’re riding through a live physics experiment! From energy transformations to efficiency and the thrill of the ride, every twist and turn is a reminder of how cool and exciting science can be!