Roller Coasters

Just like Physics, roller coasters are often thought of as being scary and intimidating. However, it can also be fun and exciting once you get the hang of it. In fact, roller coasters are meant to be fun and amazing but it can also be scary. But isn't that the thrill of it, facing your fear and having fun at the same time. I believed it is the anticipation that makes everyone fears for their life. Waiting in the line and seeing the process of the ride and hearing the screams of the terrified riders will definitely make you tingle all over. And once you put on your seat belts or safety harness, there is no going back. What makes it worse is when you are slowly being pulled up, and once you reach the top you don't know when the car would be release. And the longer you wait the more you realize how high or how scary the coaster is. But when you go down, the adrenaline rush is unbelievable.

When I rode the Zoomerang, I had two goals to accomplish--to ride it with my eyes open and to ride it with my eyes close. I knew that by keeping my eyes open I would be more terrified because I could see what was going to happen next once the train of cars is released. In fact, when I was waiting for the cars to drop from point A I started feeling the tingling/tickling sensation in my stomach. I also felt the sensation again when the car looped backward (point D) and this time it was more intense. Also when the car was going through the loops (forward and backward) it felt like the car was going to fall forward, which terrified me the most. But with my eyes close I knew it would be less terrifying because I wouldn't know exactly what was going to happen next. In fact, the tingling sensation was less intense when the car went down the hill and when the car went through the loops.

During the ride the train of cars is usually pulled up by a lifting motor to the top of the hill (point A). When the train is finally released from the motor gravity takes over which power the whole train throughout the entire ride. When the train reaches the top it possesses a large quantity of potential energy. In fact, the greater the elevation of the train the greater the potential energy it has. But as the train descends the hill it will gain kinetic energy which is the energy of motion, and loses potential energy. As the ride continues, the train of cars would keep regaining potential energy each time it climbs another ramp and regains kinetic energy as train