Did you know that a roller coaster is more than just a scary – or fun – ride in an amusement park? That's right. While roller coasters are fun to ride, they are also very carefully designed using the science of physics.

Do you know physics is all about?

Physics is the scientific study of many things, such as motion, force, energy, light and sound. It includes gravity, friction and speed – all things that contribute to the way roller coasters operate.

Let's look a bit closer at how roller coasters came to be and what causes them to do the things they do.

The First Roller Coaster

The very first roller coaster wasn't like the ones we ride today – sleek metal cars travelling upside down and sideways at high speeds over water and way up in the sky. Instead, the original "scream machines" (as they are sometimes called) were huge wooden sleds that slid down ice-covered mountains!

The year was about 1780 – long before the power to pull a coaster up a track was invented. Instead, the coasters were hauled up the steep mountainside by mules, who probably didn't think very much of their job. But it was also a lot of work for the people who rode them, too. In order to enjoy the short ride down, they had to climb the equivalent of five stories of steps!

Later, wheeled carts were introduced in Paris. The carts also traveled at high speeds, but many people were injured because there were no safety features – a long way from the modern coasters of today.

including some that had loops. But since they were designed only to provide a wild ride, little thought was given to safety. But that didn't stop people from riding the new "thrill" rides!

Roller Coaster Rides Get More Daring – and Faster!

In the 1920s, roller coasters were a big draw at many large amusement parks, including ones in Chicago and on the beaches. Some reached speeds of well over 60 miles per hour. At this time, roller coasters were made out of wood.

When the Great Depression hit (in 1929), people had little money to spend on fun. Instead, with few jobs available, it took everything people could earn just to live.

Roller coasters and amusement parks in general had a rough time of it. Many closed. But then, a man named Walt Disney had a dream – he wanted to build an amusement park that would be the greatest one of them all – and he did: Disneyland.

Theme Parks – and Coasters, Everywhere!

Many followed Disney's lead and now there are theme, or amusement, parks everywhere. And, as new parks opened, new types of roller coasters were developed. Today, many roller coaster rides are much different from the original free-fall down a frozen slope comprising the first coaster.

Instead, riders can now stand up on coaster rides, loop upside down and travel at speeds only dreamed of in years past. And roller coasters are much safer than before. The harnesses are designed to keep the riders from falling out or banging them around, especially their necks.

The Scientific Theory Behind the Coasters

Roller coasters usually don't have engines. Surprised? Seems hard to believe, but most of them travel safely around the track strictly by using gravity, friction and speed.

How does that work?

It converts potential energy to kinetic energy – all of the energy a roller coaster needs to run around the tracks.

Huh?

Potential energy is easy to understand. It's the amount of energy an object possesses relative to it's mass and how high it is from the ground. Take a chapter from Issac Newton and drop an apple to the ground from a height of one foot, then two, then three and so on. Each time you drop the apple, you will have a more forceful landing because the apple's potential energy increases each time.

Now let's take a closer look at kinetic (pronounced ke-ne-tic) energy. It's the energy an object has because of its motion. The amount of kinetic energy an object has is affected by its mass and speed. Mass refers to the amount of material it takes to make the object and is governed by both the density of the material and the size of the object. A lead fishing weight is heavier and has more mass than a feather because of the material from which it's made.

All roller coasters have a huge drop at the beginning of the ride. That's so the coaster will build up enough speed to continue along the ride. Each time the coaster goes down a hill, it must do so at a speed that will be safe and keep the coaster on the track, but fast enough to allow the coaster to make it up the next hill or around the upcoming loop. Otherwise, the coaster would go down the hill and – if the hill was not high enough – it would come to a stop since it wouldn't have the forward momentum to keep moving.

There are other scientific principles that come into play when dealing with roller coasters, and if you're interested in knowing more, you can check them out here:

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html

This is a nifty site that tells you all you want to know about amusement park physics.

And for those interested in designing your own coaster, try this Discovery Channel interactive design site that's fun and just perfect for the younger set:

Discovery – Build Your Own Roller Coaster:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/coasters/interactive/interactive.html

Want more? Try this one:

Funderstanding roller coaster (sophisticated build-your-own, applying the principals of physics) http://www.funderstanding.com/k12/coaster/

And here's a great, educational site that has a lot of fun facts, pictures and an interactive section just perfect for older kids:

Encyclopedia Brittanica's roller coaster physics:

http://search.eb.com/coasters/ride.html

And remember – you can always say the reason you want to go to the amusement park is because you want to study physics. (No one has to know you really just want to have fun!)

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