Squeezy McPressure here!  Did you know hydraulic and pneumatic systems are All Around Us?  How many of you enjoy spending summer days with family at a theme park or on amusement rides?  Have you ever thought about how the roller coasters operate?  In many instances, the roller coasters and amusement rides operate using hydraulics. One of the main reasons is the power density (the amount of power or rate of energy transfer distributed per unit of area) available with hydraulic power.  This ties into Pascal's Law and Force = Pressure • Area (see other blog series).  Here is a unit that is operated by a hydraulic system.  The hydraulic motor driving a winch (cable) can be seen at the bottom of the ride. So next time you are about to drop over the edge or climb the hill of the roller coaster, take a look around to see if you can find hydraulics powering the ride.  Until next time!  - Squeezy