It took me a VERY LONG time to answer my main inquiry and sub-questions; it’s a lengthy process! But anyway, it’s finished now. So enough talking and here they are!
Sub question answers:
- What are electromagnets?
Electromagnets are special coils, that are wrapped around a conductor of electricity (usually a nail, or a screw, because coils fit better on a long and skinny cylinder than a fat and short one, for example, a penny), and then connected to a battery with a couple of wires, one connected from the coil to the plus side, and one connected from to coil to the minus side. The electricity passes through and causes the coil and the nail or screw to have a north and south side because it interferes with the magnetic north and south pole like all magnets do. This means that the coil becomes MAGNETIC!
- How do wooden and steel roller coasters compare?
If you’ve been on a roller coaster, you’ve probably encountered steel and wooden roller coasters. Wooden coasters are a traditional style, with steel rails and a wooden track. These coasters are a thrill, loved for their wildness, steep drops, and more! On the other hand, this type of roller coaster often lacks corkscrews, over-banked turns, and loops, because wood is more likely to collapse under the weight of the cart and the people. But, steel roller coasters often contain loops, over-banked turns, which are turns that face the inside of the coaster, corkscrews, which are similar to loops, but they kind of twirl you upside down without the huge oval, tunnels, and high speeds.
- How can electromagnets be used on a roller coaster?
Electromagnets have two uses on a roller coaster: to break (electromagnetic brakes are called eddy-current brakes) and to accelerate. Eddy-current brakes work by having an electromagnetic connection between the car and the track. The operator reverses the current, so the car and the track are attracted to each other, creating a braking force with the help of FRICTION! Electromagnets can also be used to accelerate the car up the first hill instead of using a chain. The ride operator does the same thing to break, but instead of turning the current to attract them, he/she switches it to repel them, therefore, it will burst forward!
- Are electromagnets better than a chain?
Electromagnets are safer than a chain, because of the attraction between the car and the track is a lot stronger than a chain, so the chance of it de-railing is lower. Not only are electromagnets safer, but they’re more efficient. Instead of having a chain drag you up a hill building more potential energy, you can stock up a good amount of kinetic energy, and BURST up a hill! Therefore, you are gaining potential and losing kinetic energy at the same time/speed. They are also better brakes because friction brakes need to be replaced more often, due to the metal wearing off, which will lead to a bigger cost. Electromagnetic “launch pads” will also make you go a LOT faster. Obviously, any old house magnets aren’t strong enough to propel an ENTIRE roller coaster ‘cart line,’ so the operators send a high voltage to make the magnets REALLY strong.
- How has technology affected roller coasters?
Technology has affected roller coasters in many ways. It affects the safety, efficiency, and the amount of time it takes to design one. There is special roller coaster designing software that you can design your roller coaster on instead of drawing it all out on a blueprint that took three months to draw, and then spill your coffee on it. These software programs also tell you the elevation (the X, Y, and Z) of your roller coaster. So if your initial hill (the first one) is 65 meters in the air, and your second is 999,999,999+ meters in the air, you know that there’s a problem in either the cost, the physical possibility, the program, or your brain. Technology has also affected the safety, because now there are improved restraints, instead of a measly seatbelt. Electromagnets have also made roller coasters safer and more efficient. They’re safer because the connection between the cart and the track is REALLY strong, so it’s going to be harder for the cart to de-rail. They’re also more efficient, because as breaks, they take a LOT longer to wear off than friction brakes, and, instead of waiting for a chain to bring you up a hill, which takes about 15 seconds, you can be BOOSTED up a hill at 128 mph, which takes 1.5-5 seconds, depending on the speed, and the hill.
NOW! The moment we’ve all been waiting for… THE ANSWER TO MY MAIN INQUIRY QUESTION! (How do roller coasters work and how has technology impacted them)
Most people have been on a roller coaster at some point or another. Some are really fast, like 128 mph, and some are less intense, maybe they go 60 mph instead. But how did roller coasters all start? In the 1600s, people enjoyed a roller coaster/attraction called Russian ice slides. These slides were basically sculpted blocks of ice, about 40 feet tall, that people slid down. This was the main type of roller coaster, until June 16th, 1884, when LaMarcus Adna Thompson built the Switchback Railway in Coney Island, located in Brooklyn. This was the start of the roller coaster ‘Golden Age,’ which was when people started building all kinds of roller coasters. The first steel roller coaster, called Matterhorn Bobsleds, was built in 1959, in Disneyland, California. This roller coaster evolution continued until the first roller coaster with an electromagnetic launch pad, called
Montezuma’s Revenge, located in Knotts Berry Farm, located in Southern California. But, what even are electromagnets? Electromagnets are special coils, that are wrapped around a conductor of electricity (usually a nail, or a screw, because coils fit better on a long and skinny cylinder than a fat and short one, for example, a penny), and then connected to a battery with a couple of wires, one connected from the coil to the plus side, and one connected from to coil to the minus side. The electricity passes through and causes the coil and the nail or screw to have a north and south side because it interferes with the magnetic north and south pole like all magnets do. This means that the coil becomes MAGNETIC! Electromagnets have two uses on a roller coaster: to break (electromagnetic brakes are called eddy-current brakes) and to accelerate. Eddy-current brakes work by having an electromagnetic connection between the car and the track. The operator reverses the current, so the car and the track are attracted to each other, creating a braking force with the help of FRICTION! Electromagnets can also be used to accelerate the car up the first hill instead of using a chain. The ride operator does the same thing to break, but instead of turning the current to attract them, he/she switches it to repel them, therefore, it will burst forward! But, most rides use a chain to pull a car up its initial hill. So, are electromagnets better? Well, electromagnets are safer than a chain, because of the attraction between the car and the track is a lot stronger than a chain, so the chance of it de-railing is lower. Not only are electromagnets safer, but they’re more efficient. Instead of having a chain drag you up a hill building more potential energy, you can stock up a good amount of kinetic energy, and BURST up a hill! Therefore, you are gaining potential and losing kinetic energy at the same time/speed. They are also better brakes because friction brakes need to be replaced more often, due to the metal wearing off, which will lead to a bigger cost. Electromagnetic launch pads will also make you go a LOT faster. Obviously, any old house magnets aren’t strong enough to propel an ENTIRE roller coaster ‘cart line,’ so the operators send a high voltage to make the magnets REALLY strong. Electromagnets have been a big advancement in technology that affected roller coasters, but, how has other technology affected roller coasters? Technology has affected roller coasters in many ways. It affects the safety, efficiency, and the amount of time it takes to design one. There is special roller coaster designing software that you can design your roller coaster on instead of drawing it all out on a blueprint that took three months to draw, and then spill your coffee on it. These software programs also tell you the elevation (the X, Y, and Z) of your roller coaster. So if your initial hill (the first one) is 65 meters in the air, and your second is 999,999,999+ meters in the air, you know that there’s a problem in either the cost, the physical possibility, the program, or your brain. Technology has also affected the safety, because now there are improved restraints, instead of a measly seatbelt. Electromagnets have also made roller coasters safer and more efficient. They’re safer because the connection between the cart and the track is REALLY strong, so it’s going to be harder for the cart to de-rail. They’re also more efficient, because as breaks, they take a LOT longer to wear off than friction brakes, and, instead of waiting for a chain to bring you up a hill, which takes about 15 seconds, you can be BOOSTED up a hill at 128 mph, which takes 1.5-5 seconds, depending on the speed, and the hill. Also, there are many types of roller coasters; wooden and steel, but how do they compare? Wooden coasters are a traditional style, with steel rails and a wooden track. These coasters are a thrill, loved for their wildness, steep drops, and more! On the other hand, this type of roller coaster often lacks corkscrews, over-banked turns, and loops, because wood is more likely to collapse under the weight of the cart and the people. But, steel roller coasters often contain loops, over-banked turns, which are turns that face the inside of the coaster, corkscrews, which are similar to loops, but they kind of twirl you upside down without the huge oval, tunnels, and high speeds. In conclusion, roller coasters can work in many different ways. There is a specific way to make it physically possible, but never a right way to make it fun.