Question

A roller coaster car drops a maximum vertical distance of 35.4 m. Determine the maximum speed of the car at the bottom of that drop. Ignore work done by friction.

Answer 1

Answer:

The maximum speed of the car at the bottom of that drop is 26.34 m/s.

Explanation:

Given that,

The maximum vertical distance covered by the roller coaster, h = 35.4 m

We need to find the maximum speed of the car at the bottom of that drop. It is a case of conservation of energy. The energy at bottom is equal to the energy at top such that :

$mgh=\dfrac{1}{2}mv^2$

$v=\sqrt{2gh}$

$v=\sqrt{2\times 9.8\times 35.4}$

v = 26.34 m/s

So, the maximum speed of the car at the bottom of that drop is 26.34 m/s. Hence, this is the required solution.