An unpowered roller-coaster car starts from rest at the top of a hill of height

Question

An unpowered roller-coaster car starts from rest at the top of a hill of height H, rolls down the hill, and then goes around a vertical loop of radius R. Determine the minimum value for H required if the car is to stay on the track at the top of the loop. (Hints: At the top of the loop, the car is upside down. If it is in contact with the track, though, the contact interation will exert a normal force on the car perpendicular to the track and away from the track, since the normal force is a compression force. You may find it helpful to use conservation of energy here.)

Explanation / Answer

initial energy =mgH potential energy at the top of loop =mg*2R the two should be equal mgH = mg*2R H=2R

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.