Michael+and+Jake


 * MICHAEL AND JAKE SIX FLAGS PROJECT**


 * __Activity A: El Toro__**

Height of starting point of first hill: 1 m Height of top of first hill: 55 m Height of bottom of first hill: 1 m Radius of curve at bottom of first hill: 29 m Angle of initial incline up first hill: 50 degrees Angle of initial incline down first hill: 76 degrees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Toro_(Six_Flags_Great_Adventure)
 * Estimations**


 * Time Measurements**

Clear picture (side) (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=el+toro+coaster&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=597&tbm=isch&tbnid=b8vhYi45E9-yTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/ga101.html&docid=UMZcnnIAeUYGHM&imgurl=http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/ElToro03.jpg&w=1273&h=800&ei=N0XET97KJuyu6gHR45maCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=86&vpy=308&dur=408&hovh=178&hovw=283&tx=159&ty=150&sig=102651986125513440720&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=174&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:95) Short video of relevant segment media type="file" key="El Toro.m4v" width="300" height="300" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GMvlV6H-FQ)
 * Diagrams**


 * Graphs**


 * Evaluations**
 * 1) Safety: What features were in place?
 * 2) Once seated, each rider fastens a safety belt across his or her lap to keep the rider from sliding on the cart seat. Then a safety bar drops down tightly over his or her lap and locks in place to keep the rider in his or her cart throughout the ride. Lastly, for the rider’s peace of mind, there is a handlebar in the front of each cart that the rider can grab onto if he or she feels unsecure in the seat.
 * 3) Describe the weight sensations on the way up, on the way down, and at the bottom of the first hill: did you feel lighter, heavier, or normal?
 * 4) On the way up the first hill, I felt heavier because the cart was pushing up on my body to prevent it from falling down and backwards. On the way down the first hill, I felt lighter because my body was trying to move opposite the direction of motion but it was held down by the safety features. At the bottom of the first hill, I once again felt heavier because my body was traveling with additional velocity and momentum from the drop, but the cart prevented my body from crashing down through the ride.
 * 5) Describe the excitement level on the way up, on the way down, and at the bottom of the first hill.
 * 6) On the way up the first hill, the excitement level was medium because I was more anxious for the first drop than I was excited for it. On the way down the first hill, the excitement level was very high because I felt the thrill of the drop and increasing speed. At the bottom of the first hill, the excitement level dropped to high because the thrill of the drop had subsided, but the excitement from the speed remained.
 * 7) Describe the thrill factors that may contribute to those feelings (besides the “g”s).
 * 8) The thrill factors that may have contributed to my excitement were the height, velocity and anticipation. When I was climbing up the first hill, I could not help but wonder if the first drop would be as exhilarating as people claimed that it was, so I grew more and more anxious to find out. When I was about to drop from the first hill, I realized how high off of the ground I was, and that realization gave me nervous energy and adrenaline. On the way down the first hill, the velocity increased dramatically, which got my blood flowing.


 * Experimental Value Calculations**


 * Theoretical Value Calculations**


 * Accuracy**


 * Safety**
 * 1) Were “g”s within safe limits?
 * 2) Yes, “g”s were within safe limits because the maximum acceleration was .83 “g”s and the maximum acceleration that a human can tolerate is 4 “g”s.
 * 3) Was there correlation between “g”s and excitement level? Explain, providing evidence.
 * 4) There was a direct correlation between “g”s and excitement level. As the number of “g”s increased, so did excitement level because the ride traveled faster and our adrenaline increased. For example, the excitement level was at a maximum on the way down the first hill because the number of “g”s was at a maximum.
 * Physics**
 * 1) Explain the behavior of the mass on the string. Did the FBD of the car correlate to that of the mass? Why or why not?
 * 2) The FBD of the mass did not change at any point on the ride, and it did not correlate to that of the car. The mass on the string was independent of the rider and the cart: it only experienced the tension force of the string and the force of weight, as it adjusted to the different angles of elevation and depression throughout the ride, and it did not experience any friction or air resistance.
 * 3) Did the “g”s correlate to the sensation of weight?
 * 4) Yes, the number of “g”s directly correlated to the sensation of weight. When the number of “g”s was at a maximum at the bottom of the first hill, I felt the heaviest of all the points on the ride.
 * 5) Discuss the graphs that you created and why they curve the way that they do.
 * 6) The distance versus time graph displays an upward “J-curve” because the distance traveled increased at an exponential rate moving down the hill. The velocity versus time graph (using 55 m as d=0) displays an increasingly negative line because the ride experienced acceleration down the hill, meaning that the velocity was constantly increasing. The acceleration versus time graph displays the line y=8.17 because the ride experienced a constant acceleration of 8.17 m/s2 down the first hill. The thrill versus acceleration graph displays an upward “J-curve” because as the acceleration increased, the thrill that we felt increased exponentially.


 * __Activity B: Bizarro__**

Height of top of loop (above ground): 30 m Height of first hill: 46 m Length of car: 8 m Radius of Loop: 15 m
 * Estimations**

Time for single car to travel past top position on loop: Average time = .24 seconds
 * Time Measurement**

FBD of rider at top of loop and mass of string at top of loop: Labeled sketches of relevant segments of roller coaster: Side view of loop segment Top view of loop segment
 * Diagrams**

Picture (side): (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bizarro+coaster&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=597&tbm=isch&tbnid=kH9oiNeDvDeSQM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bizarro_at_Six_Flags_Great_Adventure.jpg&docid=dlQwmLizr6JQ3M&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Bizarro_at_Six_Flags_Great_Adventure.jpg&w=3072&h=2304&ei=1kTET5nEGoyd6AGtnsmpCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=599&vpy=277&dur=606&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=162&ty=167&sig=102651986125513440720&page=1&tbnh=120&tbnw=160&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:101)

Video: [|Relevant Video of Bizarro] (YouTube)


 * Graphs**

Describe the safety features on the roller coaster: Riders are seated with a belt, and a secure harness is then placed over their shoulders and around their upper torso.
 * Evaluations**

Describe the excitement that you felt at the top, side, and bottom of the loop: The bottom of the loop felt the fastest, before you are whipped upside down in the loop, and finally into the end of the loop, the least thrilling part of the segment.

Describe the thrill factors that may contribute to those feelings: The thrill factors included being suspended upside down, the fast acceleration, and being exposed to the ride with only a harness around you.

Describe the weight sensations at the top, side, and bottom of the loop: did you feel lighter, heavier or normal? I felt heaviest at the bottom of the loop, the most normal force during the sides of the loop, and lightest at the top of the loop.


 * Experimental Value Calculations**



Assuming min speed is 18.6 as calculated above, N, or apparent weight, = 237.43 N.
 * Theoretical Value Calculations**


 * Safety**
 * 1) g’s within safety limits? Yes

Was there a correlation between #g’s and excitement? Explain, providing evidence: Yes, at the bottom of the loop it was most exciting, where the speed, and thus the acceleration was greatest. The acceleration was high at 3.2 g’s.

Explain the behavior of the mass on the string. Did the FBD of the car correlate to that of the mass? Why or why not? No, they did not correlate. At the top of the loop, the rider experienced both weight and a normal force form the car, which both pointed downward. The mass on a string still experiences weight, however it differs because it has a tension force pointing upwards.
 * Physics**

Did the #g’s correlate to the sensation of weight? Yes, when the acceleration was greatest the weight felt the greatest. This was most noticeable at the bottom of the loop, where the g’s were 3.2 and the rider felt the heaviest, as his motion was directed downward. As the rider rounded the loop, he then felt lighter.

Discuss the graphs you created and why they curve the way they do: The v(t) graph shows the great initial speed, and then how the speed slows as the rider rounds the curve, and then speeds up as it moves down the curve. The centripetal force v time graph shows how the centripetal force becomes greatest as the rider approaches the top of the loop. The acceleration vs time graph shows how the ride slowed as it went up the curve, and then sped and accelerated as it moved down the curve. The thrill vs acceleration graph shows that when the acceleration increased, so did the thrill.


 * __Activity C: Big Wheel__**

Length of car: 2.5 m Radius of circular path: 22.5 m Angle of seats: 0 degrees
 * Estimations**

Period at maximum speed: 20 s (http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/GiantWheel.htm)
 * Measurement:**