A waterslide is like a wet roller coaster with no seat and no safety harness, and it works using the same principles as a roller coaster. In this article, we'll peek behind the scenes to find out what's involved in operating a waterslide, from pumping the water to cleaning it after the ride.

Why does water make you go down a slide faster than without water? Water helps move things along by creating a slippery layer between the rider and the slide. That reduces the stickiness between two objects when they rub against one another, which is called friction.

Riders reach speeds of up to 60 miles (90 kilometers) per hour as they plummet down a free-fall slide with fake snowbanks on each side. The Disney park is one of almost 2,000 water parks that...

While each type of slide works a little differently, all water slides are fundamentally a product of three forces: gravity, friction, and inertia. Gravity forces passengers down the ride, while water acts as a lubricant to reduce friction, so the ride is fast and smooth. On rides with a lot of curves, inertia comes into play.

In these rooms, pumps draw water in from a collecting pool, pass it through a filtering and chlorinating system and pump it out to slides and other rides in the park. At night, the park managers reverse the flow of water through the filter.