Falling RidesFalling Rides

Free Fall RidesFree Fall Rides

Water Flume RidesWater Flume Rides

Free-Fall RidesFree-Fall Rides Free-fall rides are really made up of three Free-fall rides are really made up of three

distinct parts: the ride to the top, the momentary distinct parts: the ride to the top, the momentary suspension, and the downward plunge. suspension, and the downward plunge.

In the first part of the ride, force is applied to the In the first part of the ride, force is applied to the car to lift it to the top of the free-fall tower. car to lift it to the top of the free-fall tower.

The amount of force that must be applied The amount of force that must be applied depends on the mass of the car and its depends on the mass of the car and its passengers. The force is applied by motors, and passengers. The force is applied by motors, and there is a built-in safety allowance for variations there is a built-in safety allowance for variations in the mass of the riders. in the mass of the riders.

Free fall rides have a lift mechanismFree fall rides have a lift mechanism In a single tower, the car is usually attached by a hookIn a single tower, the car is usually attached by a hook Multi-tower uses hydraulics (?)Multi-tower uses hydraulics (?)

Free-Fall RidesFree-Fall Rides

After a brief period in which After a brief period in which the riders are suspended in the riders are suspended in the air, the car suddenly the air, the car suddenly drops and begins to drops and begins to accelerate toward the accelerate toward the ground under the influence ground under the influence of the earth's gravity. of the earth's gravity.

The least massive and most The least massive and most massive riders fall to the massive riders fall to the earth with the same rate of earth with the same rate of acceleration. acceleration.

Free-Fall RidesFree-Fall Rides If the riders were If the riders were

allowed to hit the allowed to hit the earth at that speed, earth at that speed, coming to a sudden coming to a sudden stop at the end of the stop at the end of the ride, there would ride, there would certainly be serious certainly be serious injuries. injuries.

The breaking The breaking mechanism (usually mechanism (usually gas or magnetic gas or magnetic breaking) slows down breaking) slows down and stops the car. and stops the car.

The Physics of FallingThe Physics of FallingVideo ClipVideo Clip

GravityGravity Everything, regardless of whether it is a Everything, regardless of whether it is a

feather, a cannon ball, or a star, is attracting feather, a cannon ball, or a star, is attracting everything toward its center of mass.everything toward its center of mass. Any object that has mass produces a gravitational Any object that has mass produces a gravitational

pull toward its center. pull toward its center. Your body and your pen/pencil!Your body and your pen/pencil!

The Earth’s mass is so much greater than our The Earth’s mass is so much greater than our masses, and therefore is its gravitational pull. masses, and therefore is its gravitational pull.

We do not notice the effect of gravity from other We do not notice the effect of gravity from other objects because we are overcome by the Earth’s. objects because we are overcome by the Earth’s.

We do not notice other pulls from smaller objects We do not notice other pulls from smaller objects on Earth, which are negligible in comparison to on Earth, which are negligible in comparison to Earth’s and are not strong enough to overcome Earth’s and are not strong enough to overcome friction.friction.

What is Gravity?What is Gravity?Video ClipVideo Clip

More About GravityMore About Gravity Planets, moons and stars exert different Planets, moons and stars exert different

sizes of forces of gravity on an object.sizes of forces of gravity on an object. The Moon has 1/6 as much gravity as Earth.The Moon has 1/6 as much gravity as Earth. The Sun could hypothetically hold 1 million The Sun could hypothetically hold 1 million

Earths and has an immense gravitational pull. Earths and has an immense gravitational pull. This is why the planets in our solar system This is why the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun.orbit the Sun.

Remember that gravitational pull is a two Remember that gravitational pull is a two way street. Just as the Earth pulls on the way street. Just as the Earth pulls on the Moon, the Moon pulls on Earth. The tides on Moon, the Moon pulls on Earth. The tides on Earth are caused by the gravitational pull of Earth are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. the Moon and Sun.

Weighing in on GravityWeighing in on Gravity MassMass

Can be thought of as Can be thought of as the amount of “stuff” the amount of “stuff” that makes up an that makes up an object.object.

Two things of the Two things of the exact same size may exact same size may have different masses have different masses because one could because one could have more air inside have more air inside or made of different or made of different substances.substances.

Your mass, the amount Your mass, the amount of “stuff” in you, does of “stuff” in you, does not change depending not change depending on location. on location.

WeightWeight Weight is affected Weight is affected

by both mass and by both mass and gravitational pull.gravitational pull.

Weight is found by Weight is found by stepping on a scale stepping on a scale and compressing a and compressing a spring inside of the spring inside of the scale. The spring scale. The spring compresses because compresses because gravity is attracting gravity is attracting and pulling the and pulling the person downward.person downward.

Weighing in on GravityWeighing in on Gravity

If an object were weighed on the If an object were weighed on the Moon, the weight would appear to Moon, the weight would appear to be one-sixth of what is on Earth; this be one-sixth of what is on Earth; this is because the Moon has one-sixth is because the Moon has one-sixth the amount of Earth’s gravity. the amount of Earth’s gravity.

However the object’s mass would However the object’s mass would not have changed. not have changed.

Calculate how much you would Calculate how much you would weigh on the moon.weigh on the moon.

How Does Gravity Affect How Does Gravity Affect Heavy and Light Objects?Heavy and Light Objects?

The force of gravity pulls all objects to The force of gravity pulls all objects to the Earth at the same rate, regardless the Earth at the same rate, regardless of the size or weight of the object.of the size or weight of the object.

Air resistance can slow the rate of fall. Air resistance can slow the rate of fall. Sky-divers!Sky-divers!

A rock and a feather will fall at the A rock and a feather will fall at the same speed if placed in a vacuum…same speed if placed in a vacuum… Not a vacuum cleaner—a tube with all of Not a vacuum cleaner—a tube with all of

the air pumped out.the air pumped out. Let’s give it a try… (tennis ball and Let’s give it a try… (tennis ball and

paper)paper)

MicrogravityMicrogravity Microgravity—means Microgravity—means

that some of the effects that some of the effects of gravity are minimized.of gravity are minimized.

Free-fall rides provide a Free-fall rides provide a brief glimpse of this—a brief glimpse of this—a sense of weightlessness.sense of weightlessness.

You are falling at the You are falling at the same rate as the ride car same rate as the ride car so the effects of gravity so the effects of gravity seem to disappear.seem to disappear.

Riders experience the Riders experience the weightless feelings for weightless feelings for less than 2 seconds.less than 2 seconds.

MicrogravityMicrogravity If you could stand or sit on a scale during a If you could stand or sit on a scale during a

free-fall ride, it would show that you would free-fall ride, it would show that you would weigh less than normal. weigh less than normal.

Remember the spring in the scale? In Remember the spring in the scale? In order for the scale to read your weight, the order for the scale to read your weight, the spring must be compressed by a force (the spring must be compressed by a force (the downward force of gravity on your body).downward force of gravity on your body).

Because the scale would be falling right Because the scale would be falling right along with you as the car is falling, there along with you as the car is falling, there would be no downward force to compress would be no downward force to compress the spring even if it were directly the spring even if it were directly underneath you.underneath you.

WeightlessnessWeightlessnessVideo ClipVideo Clip

Acceleration Due To Acceleration Due To GravityGravity

Free-falling objects Free-falling objects have an have an acceleration of 9.8 acceleration of 9.8 meters/second/secmeters/second/second, downward (on ond, downward (on Earth) all because Earth) all because of gravity. of gravity.

Terminal VelocityTerminal Velocity

The terminal velocity occurs during free fall The terminal velocity occurs during free fall when a falling body continues to fall but stops when a falling body continues to fall but stops accelerating. accelerating.

This is because of air resistance. Air resistance This is because of air resistance. Air resistance exists because air molecules collide into a free exists because air molecules collide into a free faller creating an upward force opposite faller creating an upward force opposite gravity. This upward force will eventually gravity. This upward force will eventually balance the falling body's weight. It will balance the falling body's weight. It will continue to fall at constant velocity known as continue to fall at constant velocity known as the terminal velocity.the terminal velocity. For a sky-diver, this is approximately 55 For a sky-diver, this is approximately 55

meters/second or 124 miles/hourmeters/second or 124 miles/hour

G-ForcesG-Forces

Positive G-ForcesPositive G-Forces When you feel When you feel

pressed into your pressed into your seatseat

Free-fall rides that Free-fall rides that shoot you up into shoot you up into the air—in which the air—in which case you feel as if case you feel as if you are getting you are getting pushed into your pushed into your seatseat

Negative G-ForcesNegative G-Forces When you feel the When you feel the

sensation of your sensation of your toosh leaving the toosh leaving the seat—air timeseat—air time

Free-fall rides that Free-fall rides that drop you from high drop you from high in the air—in which in the air—in which case you feel case you feel weightless, or weightless, or weighing less than weighing less than you usually doyou usually do

Positive G’sPositive G’s

When you feel heavy in your seatWhen you feel heavy in your seat 1 “G” is the normal pull of gravity.1 “G” is the normal pull of gravity. 2 G’s feels like your weight doubled, 2 G’s feels like your weight doubled,

3 G’s is the feeling of a tripling of 3 G’s is the feeling of a tripling of your normal weightyour normal weight

Most coasters pull about 4 G’s. Some Most coasters pull about 4 G’s. Some 5 or 6. 5 or 6. At 5 G’s you can black out. At 9 you can At 5 G’s you can black out. At 9 you can

die.die.

Negative G’sNegative G’s

When you feel light in your seatWhen you feel light in your seat Anything below 1 G is considered a Anything below 1 G is considered a

negative Gnegative G At 0 G’s, it is weightlessnessAt 0 G’s, it is weightlessness Negative G’s are a resistance of the Negative G’s are a resistance of the

force of gravity.force of gravity. At -1 or -2, you feel as you are being At -1 or -2, you feel as you are being

sucked out of the ride’s car.sucked out of the ride’s car.

G-ForcesG-ForcesVideo ClipVideo Clip

EnergyEnergy

Potential EnergyPotential Energy Stored form of Stored form of

energy that can energy that can produce motionproduce motion

the the potentialpotential for for motionmotion

The Earth’s The Earth’s gravitational gravitational attraction cam be attraction cam be used as a source of used as a source of potential energy.potential energy.

Kinetic EnergyKinetic Energy Form of energy Form of energy

related to an related to an object’s motionobject’s motion

The more mass The more mass and/or speed, the and/or speed, the higher the KEhigher the KE

EnergyEnergy

How many “G’s” How many “G’s” are felt during are felt during different portions different portions of a free-fall ride?of a free-fall ride?

Place an “X” where Place an “X” where you feel the you feel the corresponding corresponding energy.energy.