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The Energy of Roller Coasters

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Last updated over 3 years ago
11 questions
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Research Question:
How do roller coasters use energy to work?
Directions:
1. Watch the video about roller coaster physics.
2. Answer the questions that follow.
Question 1
1.

Question 2
2.

Question 3
3.

Question 4
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Question 5
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Question 6
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Question 7
7.

Question 8
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Question 9
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Question 10
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Question 11
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What is potential energy?
heat energy
total energy
motion energy
stored energy
How does a roller coaster get potential energy?
Going uphill
Going downhill
It always has potential energy
Being pulled uphill by a machine
How can you increase a roller coaster's potential energy?
make it move faster
make its hill taller
make its hill shorter
make it move slower
At what point does a roller coaster cart have its greatest amount of potential energy?
At the start of the ride
Going up the first hill
At the top of the first hill
Going down the first hill
At the bottom of the first hill
At the top of any hill
At the highest point during the ride
What is kinetic energy?
stored energy
motion energy
total energy
heat energy
How does a roller coaster get kinetic energy?
Going uphill
Going downhill
It always has kinetic energy
Gravity and momentum
Converting from potential energy
When does a roller coaster have its greatest amount of kinetic energy?
At the top of the first hill
At the bottom of the first hill
At its fastest speed
At its slowest speed
Why does a roller coaster slow down as it goes uphill?
Gravity acts against the cart
The cart is losing potential energy
The cart loses energy
When does a roller coaster's kinetic energy turn back into potential energy?
As it goes downhill
As it goes uphill
Never
Friction (resistance) between the track and the cart's wheels cause a lot of the cart's energy to convert into ___.
gravity
heat energy
kinetic energy
potential energy
How can you increase a roller coaster's speed?
Increase its potential energy
Increase the cart's mass
Increase the height of drops
Add passengers to the cart
Increase friction between the cart and track