Roller coaster ride
Classical Mechanics
Level
1
A frictionless roller coaster ride is given a certain velocity at the start of the ride. At which point in the diagram is the velocity of the cart the greatest? Assume a frictionless surface.
C
A
D
B
There is insufficient information to decide.
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1 solution
Note that the ride's velocity is maximized when its kinetic energy is maximized, and vice versa. By conservation of energy, the sum of the ride's kinetic and potential energies is constant, so its kinetic energy is maximized when its potential energy is minimized. But P E = m g h , so its potential energy is minimized when the ride is at is lowest point (when h is minimised),that is at point C .