The Science Behind Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
*Image Credit: Disney Parks Blog
For anyone who knows me it’s no surprise to hear that I love the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios! The amazing launch from 0 to 60 mph always takes my breath away. Plus that first loop right at the beginning definitely makes you feel the force of those 5 Gs pushing you back into your seat. But have you ever wondered how this coaster works?
Disney Mechanical Engineers, Angel and Josh, were given the fun task of helping us learn this very thing! Currently they work behind the scenes at Disney and are the perfect people to explain the math, science and engineering that make Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster magic happen.
Check out the cool video below for a lesson in magnets and how they are used to propel this extreme coaster to extreme speeds.
Fun right? Now how about a change to put that knowledge into action. We are sharing the below activity from Disney that you can use during your next at-home science class. With just a few materials that you probably already have laying around the house, you can apply the lessons learned from Angel and Josh to create a model roller coaster launch system right at home.
The image below includes the instructions but you can also download it in PDF form by clicking here.
Image Credit: Disney Parks Blog
We would love to see your creations! Share your videos and photos with us on social media by tagging @MickeyBlog_ and @DisneyParks.
Image Credit: Disney
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Fast Facts
In the meantime here are some “Fast Facts” about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith:
- Track Length: 3,403 feet, which is more than a half-mile of twists, turns, loops, corkscrews, hills and dips.
- Inversions: Two roll-over loops and one corkscrew — Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is Disney’s first coaster in the United States to feature inversions.
- “Limotrain” Capacity: 24 guests, about twice the number of passengers who fit in the average stretch limousine.
- Maximum Speed: The attraction’s high-speed launch catapults each Limotrain to approximately 60 mph in 2.8 seconds — similar to the feeling of sitting in a supersonic jet as it blasts off from the deck of an aircraft carrier.
- Exclusive Audio: Five specially recorded Aerosmith soundtracks. Each Limotrain features a different Aerosmith song, with lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry recording custom lyrics and riffs for each tune. Examples include “Love In A Roller Coaster” (“Love In An Elevator”) and “What Kind of Ride Are You On?” (“What Kind of Love Are You On?”).
- A Rocking Good Time: Actual ride time for the roller coaster is 1:22; the cycle time for each Limotrain is 3:12 (the exact running time of one of Aerosmith’s “Greatest Hits,” “Sweet Emotion”); and the attraction’s pre-show feature is approximately two minutes.
- On-Board Audio: Each guest’s seat boasts two high-frequency tweeters, two mid-range speakers and one subwoofer (mounted under the seat). By comparison, most automobiles have a total of four
speakers in the entire vehicle. - Total Speakers per Limotrain: 120.
- Total Speakers in Attraction: 900.
- Watts of Audio Amplifier Output Power: More than 32,000.
- Height Restriction: 48 inches.
- Attraction Entrance: On Sunset Boulevard, near The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. At 40 feet tall, the larger-than-life electric guitar has a neck which morphs into a scale-model coaster track and extends 320 feet to the entrance arch.
Source Credit: Disney Parks Blog
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