What direction does friction force act on a roller coaster at the top of a loop?

AI Thread Summary
At the top of a roller coaster loop, the direction of travel is horizontal, tangent to the curve. The friction force acts opposite to this horizontal direction. The surface at the top is effectively straight, meaning there is no vertical component to the coaster's velocity at that point. Understanding this helps clarify the role of friction in roller coaster dynamics. The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing the coaster's orientation and motion at the loop's apex.
JimmyRay
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lol... sorry for posting again but now I am confused about frictional force on my roller coaster...

When an object reaches the top of the loop of a roller coaster, what direction is it traveling in? Friction force will be opposite of that direction... At the exact top of the roller coaster, the surface is not curved correct? It's straight, and so will the object be traveling straight up (y direction) or straight horzinatal (x direction) ...
 
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Your coaster is moving forward, tangent to the curve. In your case, either +x or -x, depending on how your coordinates are set up. There is no vertical component to your velocity on top, just horizontal ones...
 
thats right, thank you :)
 

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