Finding the Angle of a Banked Curve for Roller Coaster Design

[newme]

Hey I am doing a assignment on Roller coaster physics and i am to design a Roller coaster taking all the aspects of physics.

I am stuck at my banked curve i don't know what formula to use to find the angle of the curve.
I have seen this formula in the forums
Tan theta=v^2/rg

but the thing is i don't know how that formula was derived so i can't useit in my assigment unless i know how it was made.

So if someone know how to make that formula or another forumula i can use please could you post it. Thanks

ahh you and i for got to say that you can ignore friction.

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Newme. I can't help you with any math stuff; I'm more of a 'hands on' guy. (No one would get on my rides in Rollercoaster Tycoon. )
You are definitely in the right place to get the answers, though. Just hang tight and the experts will show up like rock bass on a dead minnow.

 

[trajan22]

Well here is a neat link on the forces at work on a banked curve:http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/mechanics/carbank.html
But it does include friction but it will at least give you a really good idea as to what exactly is at play here.
Hope it helps.

 

[newme]

thanks

Thanks for that!
Ok so know with this formula
Velocity max=sqaure root (rg tan theta)
can be rearanged to tan theta=v^2/rg
thanks for the help on that