{"id":2296,"date":"2021-08-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gooroo.com\/blog\/?p=2296"},"modified":"2021-08-16T09:21:51","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T13:21:51","slug":"roller-coaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gooroo.com\/blog\/roller-coaster\/","title":{"rendered":"Roller Coaster: Where the Thrill Came From"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"709\" height=\"531\" src=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061917\/matt-bowden-GZc4fnQsaWQ-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"roller coaster\" class=\"wp-image-2297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061917\/matt-bowden-GZc4fnQsaWQ-unsplash.jpg 709w, https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061917\/matt-bowden-GZc4fnQsaWQ-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s your favourite amusement park ride? Are you partial to a carousel? Or are you fonder of spinning tea cups? According to a recent poll, the American public love the roller coaster \u2014 perfect news for National Roller Coaster Day. In today\u2019s blog, we\u2019re going to chase the thrill of what goes into making these contraptions. Plus, the history behind these rides.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-what-is-a-roller-coaster\">What is a Roller Coaster?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Found in amusement and theme parks, the roller coaster employs a form of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>elevated railroad track designed with tight turns<\/li><li>steep slopes<\/li><li>occasionally inversions<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>People ride along the track in open cars.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The roller coaster is divided into two main categories:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Steel: <\/strong>With tubular steel tracks, they offer a smoother ride and the ability to turn riders upside-down.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Wooden:<\/strong> Renowned for producing \u201cair time: through the use of negative g-forces, these tracks are built with flat steel.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There exists a third classification which is a hybrid of wood and steel elements. For example, the track is made out of steel but the support structure from wood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, these rides are distinguished by their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Train Type:<\/strong> 4th Dimension, bobsled, flourless, flying, inverted, mine train, mountain\/aplin, pipeline, spinning, stand-up, suspended.<\/li><li><strong>Track Layout: <\/strong>boomerang, corkscrew, dual-tracked, figure 8, out and back, shuttle, terrain, twister.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.gooroo.com\/courses\/predicting-motion-an-introduction-to-classical-mechanics\/94\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mechanics<\/a>:<\/strong> chain-lift\/cable, ferris wheel life, launched, powered.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Height:<\/strong> Kiddie (for younger riders), mega\/hyper (for thrill seekers), giga (height\/drop of at least 300 feet), strata (400 feet heigh\/drop).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"709\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061937\/gabriel-valdez-Q6-n5G2vA78-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061937\/gabriel-valdez-Q6-n5G2vA78-unsplash.jpg 709w, https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061937\/gabriel-valdez-Q6-n5G2vA78-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-how-do-they-work\">How Do They Work?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know: roller coaster trains aren&#8217;tt typically powered? Instead, they gain their momentum by being pulled up a lift by a chain or cable and released downhill. The potential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gooroo.com\/blog\/sustainable-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">energy<\/a> accumulated by the rise in height is transferred to kinetic energy. Which is then converted back into potential energy as the train rises up the next hill. A properly-designed outdoor track results in a train having enough kinetic energy to complete the track under a variety of weather conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, not all rides feature a life hill. Other launch mechanisms include a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>flywheel<\/li><li>linear induction motor<\/li><li>linear synchronous motor<\/li><li>hydraulic launch<\/li><li>tire drive<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, these carts reach greater speed using less track than life-hill rides.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-history\">The History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The oldest roller coaster lived in the \u201cRussian Mountains\u201d in an area that is now Saint Petersburg. Constructed in the 17th century, slides were built to a height of 70-80 feet, had a 50-degree drop, and were reinforced by wood supporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the first modern roller coaster wouldn\u2019t appear until 1817 in Parc Beaujon, Paris. It featured wheeled cars lock to the track. Guided by rails to keep them on course, these rides allowed for higher speeds. Eventually, these rides lost their popularity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same century, a mining company sold tickets for thrill seekers wishing to ride their coal delivery railroad. This idea sparked the Switchback Railway which opened at Coney Island in 1884.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the 20th century, the popularity of the roller coaster began to revive. That, plus the development of new technology, has turned the ride into a much-desired activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"709\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061951\/anne-nygard-OpNMKVpZPEE-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061951\/anne-nygard-OpNMKVpZPEE-unsplash.jpg 709w, https:\/\/gooroo-blog.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2021\/08\/16061951\/anne-nygard-OpNMKVpZPEE-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-fun-facts\">Fun Facts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has the world\u2019s <em>fastest<\/em> roller coast with a speed of up to 149 miles per hour.\u00a0<\/li><li>Are you afraid of heights? Then the <em>tallest<\/em> ride at Jackson. NJ\u2019s Sixflags is not for you! At 456 feet it beats the second tallest by 36 feet.\u00a0<\/li><li>The Smiler at Alton Towers in the UK is perfect for thrill-seekers wanting <em>the most<\/em> <em>inversions<\/em> \u2014 it will turn you on your head 14 times!<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s your favourite amusement park ride? Are you partial to a carousel? Or are you fonder of spinning tea cups? According to a recent poll, the American public love the roller coaster \u2014 perfect news for National Roller Coaster Day. In today\u2019s blog, we\u2019re going to chase the thrill of what goes into making these [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":2297,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2535],"tags":[2565,2564,2563,2562,2566],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v16.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Calling all thrill seekers: do you know the history of the roller coaster? 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