What is the Roller Coaster Problem Homework Statement?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem related to roller coasters, specifically focusing on the application of energy conservation and forces in circular motion. The original poster expresses difficulty in incorporating height into their calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss using conservation of energy to find velocity at a peak and question the implications of mixed units in the problem setup.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on applying energy conservation principles and highlighted the importance of unit consistency. There is an ongoing exploration of different interpretations and approaches to the problem.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted issue with mixed units, as heights are in meters while weight is in pounds, raising questions about unit conversions that may affect calculations.

alexcc17
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Homework Statement



http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/4316/capturerey.jpg

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I am completely stuck on this. I thought I would use W=F=ma, but that wouldn't take the height into account. Any help would be greatly appreciated
 
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To find the velocity at the second peak, you can use conservation of energy:

[itex]\displaystyle ΔU_g = mgΔh[/itex]
Ug is potential gravitational energy

[itex]\displaystyle K_E = -ΔU_g = \frac{1}{2} mv^2[/itex]And to find the apparent weight of the passenger, you can use the circular motion equation:

[itex]\displaystyle F_{net} = \frac{mv^2}{r}[/itex]

Hope that helps.
 
Yikes the heights are in meters but the weight is given in pounds. No wonder why they stopped teaching mixed units in the States. Watch your unit conversions, please.
 
Thank you!
 

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