: Rollercoaster Experiment Work Equations Needed

[Kenster1025]

URGENT: Rollercoaster Experiment Work Equations Needed

Homework Statement

We have created a very large coaster for a physics experiment and we need to find the following. Two of which are really making us ponder.

- potential energy it has at the beginning of the track

- work done on the marble by the obstacle

- total energy of the roller coaster

- speed at a minimum of 4 different points on the track, including the
maximum speed. Identify the 4 points on your track.

The mass of the marble is 5.3 grams = 0.0053 kg.

Our obstacle we consider is the loop in our track, and we have no real idea on how to calculate the work done on the marble by the loop. Which force equation should we use so we can find the work, and how should we probably go about finding the distance in the loop.

For energy of the track do we need to use other equations such as kinetic energy.

Homework Equations

For obstacle:
W = F * (delta)d
Fg = mg

For Energy of track:
Eg = mgh
Ek = mv²/2

The Attempt at a Solution

None yet since we don't know which equations.

I might include more equations but I am still trying to refresh myself since the Energy unit was months ago.

This project needs to be finished on Friday, so answers need to come as soon as possible.

Thanks
Ken

 

[PhanthomJay]

You haven't shown much of an attempt, for example, in response to 'what is the PE at the beginning', what have you tried? And work done is not F*d, it's the dot product F.d, or Fdcos theta,; what's F and theta when it's in the loop??