Science of Roller Coasters: Understanding Energy

Science of Roller Coasters: Understanding Energy — page 3
WHAT IS ENERGY Energy is the ability to do work such as moving around a roller coaster track There are many types of energy Electrical potential and kinetic energy are three forms Motion is essential to energy It can spark the change from one form to another On most roller coasters a machine uses electrical energy to pull cars up the first hill That energy becomes potential energy and then kinetic energy as the cars fly down the hill Energy constantly changes but is never destroyed So when one form of energy becomes another the amount of energy is always the same Forces play a role in this transformation The machine that pulls roller coaster cars up their first hill is an electric winch 1 R E T P A H C 6