Final answer:
A vertical loop on a roller coaster would look like a circle from a top view. For a loop with a 15.0 m radius of curvature and downward acceleration of 1.50 g, the roller coaster's speed at the top would be approximately 16.43 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked, "What would a vertical loop on a roller coaster look like from a top view?" The answer is (A) Circle, as a vertical loop is generally circular when observed from above.
Regarding the roller coaster's speed at the top of the loop with a radius of curvature of 15.0 m and downward acceleration of 1.50 g, we can use the formula for centripetal acceleration (a = v^2/r) where a is the centripetal acceleration, v is the velocity, and r is the radius of curvature. The acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, so 1.50 g is 1.50 x 9.8 m/s^2. Using these values:
1.50 x 9.8 m/s^2 = v^2 / 15.0 m
v^2 = 1.50 x 9.8 m/s^2 x 15.0 m
v^2 = (1.50 x 9.8 x 15.0) m^2/s^2
v = √(1.50 x 9.8 x 15.0) m/s
v ≈ 16.43 m/s
Therefore, the speed of the roller coaster at the top of the loop would be approximately 16.43 meters per second.