In the free fall rides at an amusement park, Newton's first and second laws are present. Newtons First law explains how objects in motion tend to stay in motion while objects at rest stay at rest. His second Law of Motion is the law of acceleration. It states that the mass of an object and the amount of force applied to an object are related to acceleration. The greater the mass of an object, the more it resists being moved therefore has a smaller acceleration. the greater the force applied the greater the acceleration. In a free fall ride there are three major aspects: the ride up, suspension, and the downward plunge. Upwards force is applied by motors (depending on the mass of car and its passengers). It then drops and begins to accelerate towards the ground under the influence of earth's gravity. They then come to the ground at the same rate of acceleration but on a curve to control the stop.
Free Body Diagram of a Ride in Free Fall
Net force= Gravitational Force - Drag Force
- N3L: The coaster - gravity. Going upwards, Gravity - coaster.