Blog 7

In this last chapter, we learned about centripetal force.  I experienced centripetal force while riding on a rollercoaster in California Adventure park.  On the ride, California Screaming, there is a loop.  As the rollercoaster enters it, one experiences what feels like a change in weight at different points.  This is due to the centripetal force.  At the top of the loop, the centripetal force (force pulling towards the center) is equal your normal force+your weight (massXgravity).  However, at the bottom, one's centripetal force is equal your normal force-weight.  This is why, when riding a rollercoaster, you feel heavier at the top of a loop than at the bottom.  With a greater centripetal force, you feel as if you are heavier.  I always wondered why I felt much heavier at the top of a loop than at the bottom.  Now, thanks to physics, I can understand that centripetal force plays a major role in how heavy one feels on a roller coaster.