Thursday, January 2, 2014

Question #3: Trapped between 2 Hills

Energy is transformed as the mechanics or environment of an object changes. If traveling down a roller coaster hill and the cart gets stuck before reaching the top of the next hill, then the designer forgot about the transfromation of energy as well as the effects gravity has on the cart. Potential Energy is lost when the cart goes down the first hill and the Kinetic Energy becomes higher. The second hill needs to be smaller than the first to support the equal amounts of Kinetic and Potential Energy created when the cart reaches the bottom of the first hill. If the second hill is larger than the first, gravity will interfere with the transformation of energy, causing the cart to stay where it is versus having enough energy to launch into the next level of the roller coaster.


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