Joshua Lippman

How To Build a 1000-Foot Tall Roller Coaster

Started Sept. 12, 2023

Abstract or project description

The most visually awe-inspiring feature of a roller coaster is its height. Roller coasters are designed at different heights as they cater to various audiences of age and enthusiasm. Coaster height can range from 10 feet to over 400 feet. While height is not the only factor designers consider when building a roller coaster, the height gives riders a huge first impression. This paper aims to determine whether a roller coaster with a peak height of 1000 feet is possible to build and if so, how it could be constructed to be safe for people to ride. The height is measured from the tallest point of the drop to the lowest point of the drop. Roller coasters consist of many forces with the most common being gravitation force known as G-force. In addition to gravitational force, drag and friction forces are all evaluated when designing a safe ride. The design constraints and limitations of building such a tall roller coaster will be explored in depth. We will use a variety of written explanations and calculations using the laws of physics, images, and diagrams. The results of this paper and building a 1000-foot tall roller coaster reveal that the coaster can be built with the correct terrain and construction.