Active Physical Science


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Activity Page 1

GOALS

In this activity you will:

Recognize that an object in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by a force — Newton's First Law.
Explain how a force toward a fixed center will allow a car to travel in circular motion.
Describe how the centripetal force is dependent on the speed and the radius of the curve and the mass of the object.
Solve problems using the equation for centripetal force.
Recognize that safety considerations limit the acceleration of a roller coaster to below 4 g.

What Do You Think?

The first looping coaster was built in Paris, France. It had about a 4 m (13 ft.) wide loop. One of the largest loops today is about 35 m (120 ft.) wide.

Why don't you fall out of the roller coaster car when it goes upside down during a loop-the-loop?

Record your ideas about this question in your Active Physics log. Be prepared to discuss your response with your small group and the class.