Final answer:
To set the total energy of a roller coaster system to 168,000 Joules, one must adjust the initial height and speed to match this energy value, referencing the conservation of mechanical energy which states the sum of kinetic and potential energy in the system remains constant.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Physics, particularly when talking about roller coasters, we refer to the principle of conservation of energy to understand the system. The total energy of a roller coaster includes both kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE), which when combined represent the total mechanical energy of the system. When setting the sliders to ensure that the total energy of the roller coaster system is equal to 168,000 Joules, you are essentially determining the initial height and speed of the roller coaster so that the sum of its kinetic and potential energy equals this amount.
The conservation of mechanical energy formula is typically represented as KE1 + PE1 = KE2 + PE2, meaning the total mechanical energy is the same at all points along the ride assuming no energy losses occur due to factors like friction or air resistance. In a hypothetical situation where friction is ignored, if the roller coaster starts from rest, all of its initial energy would be potential energy (PE) due to its height. Conversely, at the bottom of a loop or at its lowest point, the potential energy (if the ground is considered as the reference point) is zero, and the total energy is all kinetic.