Accepted Answer
At the top, the coaster's gravitational potential energy is (mass) x (gravity) x (height) = (2,000kg) x (9.8m/s²) x (40m) = 784,000 joules.If the track is frictionless, then its speed at the bottom is the same as if it were simply dropped. At ground level, ALL of its potential energy has changed into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy = (1/2) x (mass) x (speed)²We know how much potential energy it had before it dropped,and all of that energy is kinetic at the borrom: 784,000 joules = (1/2) (2,000kg) x (speed)²Divide each side by 1,000: 784 = (speed)² Speed= √784 = 28 meters per second(That's about 62.6 miles per hour.)