What happens to the potential energy as a coaster goes down a hill?
What happens to the potential energy as a coaster goes down a hill? When the cars are released from the chain and begin coasting down the hill, potential energy transforms into kinetic energy until they reach the bottom of the hill. As the cars ascend the next hill, some kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy.
What is the potential energy of a hill?
The amount of potential energy is dependent upon mass and height and is found using the equation PE=m*g*h where g is the acceleration of gravity (approximated here to be 10 m/s/s). For a 50-kg sledder on top of a 4.0-meter high hill, the potential energy is 2000 Joules.
What happens to the potential energy as the roller coaster goes down hill?
The kinetic energy decreases (as you know the roller coaster will slow down as it gets higher) but the potential energy due to its height is increasing. Then as the roller coaster falls, the potential energy decreases and the kinetic energy increases. Energy is always conserved in any system.
What type of energy is it when an object is going down the hill?
Essentially, the higher up the boulder is on the hill, the more gravitational potential energy it has. As it rolls downhill, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (as we discussed earlier).
When a roller coaster climbs up a hill what happens to its potential energy?
As the roller coaster starts to climbs the hill, the potential energy increases again. The potential energy reaches its maximum point when the roller coaster makes it to the top of the hill. At this point, you begin your descent down the first hill. This is where the potential energy transforms into kinetic energy.
Is a roller coaster going down a hill kinetic or potential energy?
As the cars ascend the next hill, some kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy. Then, when the cars descend this hill, potential energy is again changed to kinetic energy. This conversion between potential and kinetic energy continues throughout the ride.