Final answer:
A Viking ship roller coaster, which acts like a pendulum, exchanges potential and kinetic energy as it swings, providing thrills as it momentarily becomes motionless at its peak before accelerating down under gravity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Roller Coaster Physics
Riders on a roller coaster experience a range of sensations due to the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy and vice versa. A ride like the Viking ship roller coaster, which operates like a pendulum, swings back and forth around a pivot point.
At the highest point in its swing, the ship momentarily has a maximum amount of potential energy and a minimum of kinetic energy, as it is momentarily motionless. As gravity pulls it downwards, potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy, causing the ship to accelerate until it reaches the bottom of its arc, where the speed is greatest. Throughout the ride, energy transformation provides the thrills that roller coaster enthusiasts seek.