Question

The passengers in a roller coaster car feel 50% heavier than their true weight as the car goes through a dip with a 10 m radius of curvature.What is the car's speed at the bottom of the dip?

Answer 1

Answer:

7 ms⁻¹

Explanation:

When the weight is 50% more, if the actual weight is W, the weight at the dip will be 1.5  Mg . At the bottom, the forces acting are

Weight Mg , vertically downwards

Centripetal force towards the center of the circle

and the normal force N = 1.5 Mg, that acts towards the center

N -  Mg =  Mv²÷ r

1.5 Mg - Mg = M v² ÷ r

0.5  g = v² ÷ 10

⇒ v = 7 ms⁻¹ Car's speed at the bottom of the dip.