Amusement Park Physics

From the website -- "How does a roller coaster work?What you may not realize as you're cruising down the track at 60 miles an hour is that the coaster has no engine. The car is pulled to the top of the first hill at the beginning of the ride, but after that the coaster must complete the ride on its own. You aren't being propelled around the track by a motor or pulled by a hitch. The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what drives the roller coaster, and all of the kinetic energy you need for the ride is present once the coaster descends the first hill. . . "


http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/index.html

Think like a scientist [ and enjoy the ride! ]