Coaster Dynamics Help: The Coaster Lab



Coaster Dynamics
Help about:

The Coaster Lab:   Track Data

To help with calculations needed for the
Coaster Lab exercises, the value of certain track parameters can be found using the "Track Data" option.

To see the Track Data, click on the "Coaster Lab" button in the
Coaster Dynamics Main Menu, and then select the "Track Data" option.

This will display the "Track Data" window.



In addition to showing the values of the Track Data, this option also allows you to turn the friction feature on or off.

In order to realistically simulate the motion of the roller coaster car, friction should always be turned on. However,
Coaster Dynamics allows you to eliminate friction for testing purposes. For instance, you may want to turn friction off to analyze the oscillating motion of the car between two hills, or to experiment and study the theoretical equivalence of potential and kinetic energy (in a frictionless environment).

It must to noted, however, that in
Coaster Dynamics, turning the friction feature off actually sets it to a very small amount. The friction is not set exactly to zero.

Also, friction is not calculated using a simple "constant rolling resistance" model. Instead, the calculated friction increases with the car's speed. This feature simulates the affect of wind resistance.