This teaching demonstration introduces key dynamics principles through the motion of a roller coaster cart. Starting from Newton’s Second Law and the work–energy principle, we explore how gravity and friction interact to shape the cart’s velocity response on a slope. The session develops a dynamic model to illustrate how resistance influences acceleration, steady-state speed, and the overall motion behavior of the system.

Ms. Lu Zhao is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas. She received M.S. degree in Astronautics Engineering from Beihang University, China (2016), and B.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Science and Technology Beijing, China (2013). Her research focuses on turbulent jet mixing and noise mitigation using advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. She has served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for multiple undergraduate courses, including Fluid Mechanics, Aerodynamics, and Jet Propulsion, and has also worked for outreach programs such as the KU Engineering Summer Camp. Beyond the classroom, Lu has contributed to student leadership and community engagement as President of the International Women’s Association and President of the Graduate Engineering Ambassadors at KU.