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By the Numbers: Roller Coasters

May 11, 2020

By Jennifer Hackett

For about 200 years, thrill-seekers have loved roller coasters. The first one was the “Skywalk” that opened in Paris, France, in 1817. But most experts believe the amusement ride originated from attractions called Russian Mountains, which were popular in Russia in the 1700s. They were hills of ice up to 80 feet tall for riders to speed down on sleds. Today, most coasters are made of steel and feature twisting turns, huge loops, and incredible speeds. There’s plenty to celebrate on National Roller Coaster Day, on August 16!

Read more about roller coasters. Then plug in the numbers to solve the equation below and reveal a final fact.

8,133

Length, in feet, of Japan’s Steel Dragon 2000—the world’s longest coaster

19

Nick Agro/Orange County Register

Number of roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. This park has the greatest number of coasters!

240

MB_Photo/Alamy Stock Photo

Speed, in kilometers per hour, that the Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, reaches. It’s the world’s fastest roller coaster.

$0.75

Shutterstock.com

Cost to ride on Pennsylvania’s Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, a gravity railway built to haul coal that became one of the earliest roller coasters

Algebra

Order of Operations

Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images (Kingda Ka)

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