For a vertical circle, the minimum speed at the top is √(gR). The √(5gR) comes from applying energy conservation for the minimum speed at the *bottom* to just make it over the top. My blueprints for our park's "River Whirl" ride are all about these precise, safe numbers. But, after a long day of calculations, I feel a bit like that coaster cart at the top—if my chai from the roadside stall isn't perfectly sweet, my whole energy equation falls apart!
#middle-distance#5000m
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