Investigating the Effects of Loop Radius on Rollercoaster Performance

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the impact of loop radius on rollercoaster performance, specifically whether a loop that is too small or too large affects the vehicle's ability to complete the loop. It is confirmed that the minimum safe speed for a rollercoaster is influenced by the loop radius. A vehicle may lose contact with the track if the reaction force becomes zero, which can be analyzed using Newton's second law and centripetal acceleration formulas. Participants express enthusiasm about the topic and confirm that the initial inquiry is on the right track. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for designing safe rollercoaster loops.
sillybilly
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im doing this eperiment on rollercoasters and i was wondering if loop radius effects the vehicle; like if the loop was to small will it make it through? or if the loop was to big will it make it or just simply fall off? :) THANKYOU
 
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Welcome to PF!

Hi sillybilly! Welcome to PF! :smile:
sillybilly said:
im doing this eperiment on rollercoasters and i was wondering if loop radius effects the vehicle; like if the loop was to small will it make it through? or if the loop was to big will it make it or just simply fall off? :) THANKYOU

Yes, the minimum safe speed does depend on the loop radius.

The car will lose contact when the reaction force is zero …

and you can find when and whether that happens by using good ol' Newton's second law and the formula for centripetal acceleration :wink:
 
ohh yes thankyou that's wat i did i just wanted to no if i was on the right track fanks a ton YAY :)
 

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