May The Force Be With You
May The Force Be With You!
G-force is the force associated with an object’s acceleration relative to its free fall. To give you an idea, just standing still exerts 1G of proper acceleration; fighter pilots experience up to 4Gs and 50Gs will likely cause you serious injury or death. Despite this, many people enjoy experiencing high g-forces as part of extreme sports and rides. If this sounds like you, here are top five activities involving large g-forces.
Street Luge
Street luge would not work without a gravitational force pulling the participant down a road or paved course. Invented by skateboarders who discovered that higher speeds could be reached by lying down, the street luge riders are required to wear a helmet or face shield, leather or kevlar suit and gloves and sturdy shoes. Riders can experience up to 5g and the sport has been included in such competitions as the X Games and Gravity Games.
Fast Cars
Not all of us are rich enough to own a Bugatti Veyron, but if you get the chance to drive one, grab it with both hands. Both drivers and passengers can expect to be exposed to up to 1.55g of horizontal acceleration as the car accelerates from 0km – 100km in 2.4 seconds. The Veyron is the fastest road legal production car in the world and has reached speeds of over 400km per hour in testing.
Takabisha
July 2011 saw the opening of the world’s steepest rollercoaster in Fuji-Q Amusement Park, Japan. The ride only lasts just under two minutes but takes riders through seven twists and a 141ft vertical single drop over two miles of track. The acceleration felt by riders reaches up to 100 kmph or 4g and as if that’s not enough, you are then plunged into darkness. This is the theme parks 14th world record and the ride took the title from Mumbo Jumbo at Flamingo Land Theme Park located in North Yorkshire in the UK.
Drag Racers
Drag racing uses specially adapted cars racing two at a time from standing start, down a ¼ mile strip and the winner is decided by an electronic timing system. This in turn is made up of reaction time and elapsed time. The standard format follows that of a knockout competition whereby there is only one winner. A top fuel dragster can do 0 – 100 mph in 0.86 seconds and can create a horizontal acceleration of up to 5.3g.
Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping involves jumping from a structure while attached to a large elastic cord. The initial sensation is the free fall whilst on the way down and it is not until the elastic reaches its maximum extension that participants can experience up to 3Gs until the spring force, forces the jumper to bounce up and down until all energy has been used. Although dangerous, there have only been a handful of deaths although some people suffer from impaired eyesight for a short time afterwards.
So there you have it. Five of the most awesome experiences for thrill-seekers – may the ‘G’ force be with you!
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