44,811 views
43 votes
43 votes
Where does a roller coaster have kinetic and potential energy

User Joel McCracken
by
3.1k points

1 Answer

11 votes
11 votes

At the top of the hill, the cars have a great deal of gravitational potential energy, equal to the cars' weight multiplied by the height of the hill. When the cars are released from the chain and begin coasting down the hill, potential energy transforms into kinetic energy until they reach the bottom of the hill.

User David Underwood
by
2.5k points