To interject some real Physics into the discussion...
Near the Earth's surface, all objects fall at the same rate. This is because the force applied by the gravitational attraction between the Earth and some puny little object near the surface such as, say, a roller coaster train, is described as follows:
F = G ((m1m2)/r^2) :
Every particle in the Universe attracts every other particle with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. (Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation)
If you work all that out, you find that the force is proportional to the mass. And Force = Mass * Acceleration
(Newton's Second Law of Motion) which means Acceleration = Force / Mass. Well, since over the distances we're dealing with the distance is held nearly constant, the force is directly proportional to the mass. Since it is a direct proportion, the acceleration ends up remaining constant as the mass increases. Cool, huh? :)
So near the surface of the Earth, objects which are orders of magnitude smaller than the Earth and which move through negligible distances compared with the radius of the Earth are all subject to an Earthward acceleration of about 32 ft/sec/sec regardless of mass.
Now that implies that the mass doesn't matter in the operation of a coaster, something which anybody who has watched Gemini wake up on a cold day knows is absolutely not true. Heavier coasters do go faster...right? Well...actually, yes. This is because the total energy of the system is related to the mass and the velocity. If gravity were the only force acting on our coaster, then mass wouldn't matter. But gravity is not the only force...there is also wind resistance and friction in the bearings (and other resistive forces I can't think of at the moment) at work. While gravity is absolutely prop爀琀椀漀渀愀氀 琀漀 洀愀猀猀Ⰰ 漀琀栀攀爀 爀攀猀椀猀琀椀瘀攀 昀漀爀挀攀猀 愀爀攀 渀漀琀⸀ 圀椀渀搀 爀攀猀椀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 椀渀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 愀瀀瀀氀椀攀猀 愀 昀漀爀挀攀 眀栀椀挀栀 椀猀 爀攀氀愀琀攀搀 琀漀 瘀攀栀椀挀氀攀 挀爀漀猀猀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 愀爀攀愀Ⰰ 眀椀渀搀 猀瀀攀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀爀愀椀渀 猀瀀攀攀搀⸀ 䴀愀猀猀 搀漀攀猀渀✀琀 攀瘀攀渀 昀椀最甀爀攀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀愀琀 攀焀甀愀琀椀漀渀⸀ 䤀昀 琀栀愀琀 爀攀洀漀瘀攀猀 愀 挀攀爀琀愀椀渀 昀漀爀挀攀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀椀氀氀 攀昀昀攀挀琀椀瘀攀氀礀 猀氀漀眀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀 戀礀 愀瀀瀀氀礀椀渀最 愀 爀攀猀椀猀琀椀瘀攀 昀漀爀挀攀 䘀⸀ 匀椀渀挀攀 愀挀挀攀氀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀 ⠀椀渀 琀栀椀猀 挀愀猀攀 愀 渀攀最愀琀椀瘀攀 愀挀挀攀氀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀⤀ 椀猀 昀漀爀挀攀 搀椀瘀椀搀攀搀 㰀戀爀㸀戀礀 洀愀猀猀 ⠀䄀 㴀 䘀⼀䴀⤀ 琀栀攀 愀挀挀攀氀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀 眀椀氀氀 戀攀 愀昀昀攀挀琀攀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀 洀愀猀猀℀ 䤀渀 漀琀栀攀爀 眀漀爀搀猀Ⰰ 眀栀椀氀攀 愀 栀攀愀瘀椀攀爀 琀爀愀椀渀 眀漀渀✀琀 愀挀挀攀氀攀爀愀琀攀 愀渀礀 昀愀猀琀攀爀Ⰰ 椀琀 眀椀氀氀 栀愀瘀攀 洀漀爀攀 琀漀琀愀氀 攀渀攀爀最礀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 眀椀氀氀 琀栀攀爀攀昀漀爀攀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 氀漀猀攀 洀漀爀攀 攀渀攀爀最礀 椀渀 漀爀搀攀爀 琀漀 猀琀漀瀀⸀ 䜀爀愀瘀椀琀礀 椀猀 甀渀愀昀昀攀挀琀攀搀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 椀琀 椀猀 瀀爀漀瀀漀爀琀椀漀渀愀氀 琀漀 洀愀猀猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 漀琀栀攀爀 爀攀猀椀猀琀愀渀挀攀猀 眀椀氀氀 戀攀 洀漀爀攀 漀爀 氀攀猀猀 攀昀昀攀挀琀椀瘀攀 搀攀瀀攀渀搀椀渀最 漀渀 琀栀攀 洀愀猀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 琀爀愀椀渀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀吀漀 瀀甀琀 椀琀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 眀愀礀Ⰰ 椀琀 琀愀欀攀猀 氀攀猀猀 昀漀爀挀攀 琀漀 猀琀漀瀀 愀 琀攀渀渀椀猀 戀愀氀氀 琀栀愀渀 愀 戀漀眀氀椀渀最 戀愀氀氀Ⰰ 眀栀攀渀 戀漀琀栀 愀爀攀 琀爀愀瘀攀氀氀椀渀最 愀琀 琀栀攀 猀愀洀攀 瘀攀氀漀挀椀琀礀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀ⴀⴀ䐀愀瘀攀 䄀氀琀栀漀昀昀Ⰰ 䨀爀⸀
