Highest Point Possible for Coasters

I only took physics for one year, and I can't figure it out. If gravity has a terminal velocity, what height and speed is the constant in which gravity coasters will never get any faster? I know people dream of 1000+ ft coasters, but I know the max speed will be the same of that constant. Can anybody tell me what the height and speed is?

Gravity does not have a terminal velocity. It's the point where the air resistance in newtons reaches mass*9.8 m/s^2. So it depends on the air resistance of the train which would vary.

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A bad day at Cedar Point is better than a good day at work.

If you are wondering how high you can go, you can probably go up until the air is to thin to breathe. I dont know if we will ever see that though cause thats somewhere around 17,000 or 18,000 feet. It would be awsome but it wont happen in our lifetime.

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CP in 2002, get to the point

You can go as high as people will stand to ride them!

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Sit up right, hold on tight!

Can anyone top a 400 foot giga hyper?

Point2002, no he is not wondering that. There is something in physics that is called terminal velocity. This is the point when falling objects no longer accelerate, they keep going to same speed. You see, all falling objects fall 9.8 m/s faster each second. After they go so fast, they no longer accelerate. So building a coaster above a height which terminal velocity would be reached is virtually pointless.

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The Pens will win the Stanley Cup in 2002!

If there was no air = vacuum & the train was magnetically levitated = all up = no friction whatsoever, theoretically there is no terminal velocity. Theoretically because there is no such thing as 100% no friction, not even in space as microscopic particles exist there.

Terminal velocity is not consistent either, it depends on the falling objects shape, mass & altitude; compare a feather to a marble. Sky divers reach a T.V. of about 280km/h close to sea level. The world record is 1003km/h at an altitude of 25km in rarefied air (thin air).

Another problem with T.V. is regular wheels will have melted before reaching so. S&S could have the solution in their TA2K design - aircraft wheels. However they're too small to go over, say 150mph. 747s take off at 200mph+, yet look at the size of their wheels! With regular coaster technology, I would say the limit is 140mph (launched) and height, maybe 700ft - Arrow Fishhook.

The way to go is to have sleek aerodynamically designed MAGLEV trains and 200mph, 1000ft coasters should be possible. Don't expect it to happen any time soon! It would cost equal to or more than a major park itself.

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beltzies64 said:
"There is something in physics that is called terminal velocity. This is the point when falling objects no longer accelerate, they keep going to same speed."

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There is no such thing as you are describing. As others said, terminal velocity is just the point at which the force of gravity is balanced by the sum of mechanical friction and aerodynamic drag.

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VIPER said:
"Can anyone top a 400 foot giga hyper?"

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400ft=Terra

Also they are planning that 700+ft Demon Drop like thing on the Stratosphere Tower
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©Bruce's P:)sting Co. *** This post was edited by ßruce on 6/24/2001. ***

Bruce they aren't building a coaster that is going to have a 700 foot drop.It is going to be a drop tower off the side of that will go across Las Vegas Blvd.From what I have read it is going to be like the Demon Drop at Cedar point only 7 times bigger.

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CP is the best hands down even without a record

Opps. My mistake. The way they have been describing itm I thought it was a coaster. Oh well I fixed it.

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©Bruce's P:)sting Co.

How we would judge such great heights on coasters: Going by today's prefixes.

200' = Hyper (or Mega)Coaster
300' = Gigacoaster
400' = Teracoaster
500' = Petacoaster
600' = Exacoaster
700' = Zettacoaster
800' = Yottacoaster

I don't think I would ride a 900' coaster!

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Mindbender...Can you hear the Riddler chuckling?

The tallest a rollercoaster in America could ever get is 2000 feet tall because the FAA owns all airspace over 2000 feet over US soil. That is if a rollercoaster could ever get that high that would be the record for America. Do any other countries have similar restrictions?

I really dont care how big it is. You know what they say: The bigger it is, the harder we fall.

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http://www.islandguide.8m.com
all about PKI
the Beasts` Den

If coasters get much taller the lift will have to be faster or more trains to get people on and off it fast or no one would wanna ride if because of lines. Be reialistic when it gets too high the lift will have to get steeper. so Prob nothing over 400ft main because of those reasons.

1)Lift hill length.
2)Lift Speed
3)Angle of lift
4)Track length
5)Time of ride
6)COST
7)Lines (will peeps wanna wait in a big line)
8)Most parks town have height retictions under 200 to 300ft.
9)Health risks (G's, etc.)

Do you get my point its more common sence that anything elce. I think you will see more types of ways to twist, build, form, and make the track differnt like inversions (etc).

Well thats my opinon.

Next stop-
I will be at dorney park at 10 am bye talon.

think of the g's people!!! the g's!!! if you went up a 500+ coaster, the pullout would probably have to be about 200ft before the end of the drop, and plus, do you know how much a coaster like that would cost?????

I think the max will be 450ft before it comes not rideable

people were saying these same things 10 years ago about giga-coasters.

I'll go as high as possible! As long as the park can prove that the coaster is safe you'll see me on it.

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Ryon said:
"If coasters get much taller the lift will have to be faster or more trains to get people on and off it fast or no one would wanna ride if because of lines. Be reialistic when it gets too high the lift will have to get steeper. so Prob nothing over 400ft main because of those reasons.

1)Lift hill length.
2)Lift Speed
3)Angle of lift
4)Track length
5)Time of ride
6)COST
7)Lines (will peeps wanna wait in a big line)
8)Most parks town have height retictions under 200 to 300ft.
9)Health risks (G's, etc.)

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1) Use an elevator lift.
2) Use LIM or compressed air.
3) Straight up. No prob.
4) Make it as long or as short as you want. Hypersonic isn't that long.
5) See #4 and #2.
6) Good point. Depends on the market I would imagine. Might be cheaper if it was built using natural terrain (Side of a hill or cliff...but how many parks have this available to them?)
7) See #2, #4, and #5.
8) That's a rough one. Then again, ustilizing natural terrain avoids this.
9) We've had this debate before. It's all a matter of safe design. A jet plane screams along at 700mph. Nobody gets killed (usually). A safe super tall coaster can be built.


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Forget about it. It can't be THAT bad!