Physics

I recently undertook an experiment, finding the young’s modulus of a copper wire by measuring the tensile stress and tensile strain of the wire under increasing weight. Youngs modulus of a material shows us the stiffness of a material. Stiffness is the rigidity of an object, meaning the extent to which it resists deformation in response to an applied force. This, as will be shown, is highly influential in the choice of materials for a rollercoaster; the stiffer a rollercoaster is, the safer it will be.

Accompanied by JFS School, I visited Thorpe park located at: Staines Rd, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN, to conduct a case study to assess the physics of rollercoaster rides and the use of different materials in their construction. Whilst at the theme park we went on a variety of rides that used different materials for different purposes, such as making a smooth ride or increasing the thrill. After independent research on the various rollercoasters, we had a talk from an engineer at the theme park, who talked us through the advantages and disadvantages of using different materials on different rides, and the implementation of a new ride in the park. From this we learnt various things about the physics of rollercoasters.

When deciding upon the material used to build a rollercoaster, the main aspect that is used to assess the suitability is the Youngs modulus of the material in question. Many of the big rides will require the materials to be able to safely sustain a high amount of stress that acts upon it from the carriage applying a large amount of force on it. This will mean any material for these rides will need to have a very high Youngs modulus (E=σ⁄ε) as to avoid any breaks, deformation or failures of the rollercoaster, with the ma...

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... is a very heavy material, meaning that the more track you have the stronger supports are necessary. This is shown by one ride in Thorpe Park, named “Swarm”, which has 775 meters of steel track, with a weight in excess of 1,000 tonnes. This, accompanied with the 10,000kg ride train, means that heavy duty support is necessary to keep it safe, as shown in the picture above. This makes steel rollercoasters a lot more expensive to build than their wood rollercoaster counterparts.

For these reasons, different materials have their benefits and drawbacks for the construction of rollercoasters. For example, woods unpredictable rides make for a thrilling experience, yet its safety is second-rate to steel’s high stiffness. However, steel also has disadvantages, such as, high manufacturing costs and its excessive weight, making it dangerous to build on weak and unstable land.