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Consider a roller coaster that moves along the track shown in the figure below.

ID: 2181774 • Letter: C

Question

Consider a roller coaster that moves along the track shown in the figure below. Assume all friction is negligible.

(a) Is the mechanical energy of the roller coaster conserved?




(b) Add a coordinate system to the sketch in the figure. (Do this on paper. Your instructor may ask you to turn in this work.)

(c) If the roller coaster starts from rest at location A, what is its total mechanical energy at point A? (Use the following as necessary: m, g, and hA.)
E =

(d) If vB is the speed at point B, what is the total mechanical energy at point B? (Use the following as necessary: m, g, vB and hB.)
E =

(e) Find the speed of the roller coaster when it reaches locations B and C when hA is 31 and hB is 14.
vB = m/s
vC = m/s

Explanation / Answer

a) yes c) E =mghA d) E = mghB + (1/2) m(vB)^2 (e)Vb= 18.25 m/s ....Vc=24.64m/s