Question

It is summer, and you are excited about going to your local amusement park, and specifically about riding the new roller coaster that was just built. You imagine waiting at the top of the stairs for the roller coaster to pull into the station, climbing into the car, strapping yourself into the seatbelt, and pulling down the harness. You can imagine the cars slowly chugging up to the top of the first hill, coming down on the other side, and the excitement you expect to feel as you go along for the ride. Of all of the things that you have imagined, which is an example of potential energy?

Answer 1

Answer:

Going up the hill and going down the hill and most of the ride are examples of potential energy.

Explanation:

When the cars go up the hill they accumulate potential energy .

(P.E. = m*g*h, with m being the mass, g gravity's acceleration and h the height from the floor)

When they go down they use that potential energy and turn it into kinetic energy (the speed of the cars).

(K.E. = 1/2 m*$v^{2}$ with m being the mass again and v the velocity)

This is true for every time you go up or down in the ride no matter the horizontal directin (even if it's a loop or something like that)