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The magnetic mystery

Discovery

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The Effects of Eddy Currents on Roller Coasters

As an aluminium fin moves between two magnets either side of it, a braking force is generated. It's fantastic for roller coasters because it's non-contact, which means it'll never wear out. There's no brake pads. If the entire power to the park should fail, it's OK, because it's all done without any power at all. So it will always stop. And it's really quite speed dependent. The faster you're going, the harder you brake, the slower you’re going and so on. We have these south poles that are in the roller coaster. And then when they pass through the magnetic field that is on the brakes in the track, you

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