Decreasing Centripetal Force

Question

You are a roller coaster engineer, and safety inspectors tell you that your roller coaster has too much centripetal force. What can you do to decrease the centripetal foce acting on your roller coaster?

Answer 1

F_c = m v^2 /r

 

To decrease F_c, you must decrease m or v, or increase r.  You probably do not have much control over m since it depends on the mass of the passengers, so either reduce speed going through the loop, or increase the radius of the loop.