Roller Coasters & Energy!
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INTRODUCTION

Warning! In order to complete this webquest, read EVERYTHING. If, after reading everything, you are still unclear about a step, see me. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PACKET.What's the best part of an amusement park? While some might say cotton candy, churros, or water rides, I believe the best part of amusement parks are the humongous roller coasters. The bigger the better!! Why Roller Coasters? Because they're awesome thrill-seeking, scream-provoking, vomit-inducing machines. Even though these rides feel dangerous, they're actually very safe inventions designed to feel as if you're breaking all rules of science. Are they? Of course not, physics plays a huge role in the design, motion, & fun of roller coasters.

Click here to watch "Build It Bigger: Kinetic Madness" What's your Dream Roller Coaster? Close your eyes & picture the amazing ride that awaits you. Draw a picture of your dream roller coaster. How many turns do you have? Any loops? Any major free falls? Corkscrews?

Part 1: Physics Research:

Before designing a roller coaster, you need to know the physics fundamentals.

Watch: The Future's Channel-
Roller Coasters: click here

Part A : Terms to know
Remember Newton's 2nd Law? ..Remember acceleration??
............................yeah.... that's what I thought.. :)
Define the following words. PUT in your own words, but you can find the definitions here:
Acceleration: click here
Centripetal Force : click here
G (force) : click here
Newton’s 2nd Law : click here
Kinetic Energy (KE): click here
Potential Energy (PE) : click here


Part B : Brain Pop: click here
Watch the 2 BrainPops on Potential Energy (PE) & Kinetic Energy (KE ) and answer the questions in your packet. Log in instructions are on your handout
Watch the Eureka's on Potential Energy (PE) :click here & Kinetic Energy (KE ):click here
Watch "What is Potential & Kinetic Energy" click here and click here

Part C : Roller Coaster Animations :
............................ Describe 2 of the 3 animations shown here
animation 1: click here .....animation 2: click here ..... animation 3: click here
Watch: Time Warp: Roller Coaster Science: click here

Part D: What is Energy?
................................use the Blue Holt Book to answer the questions on your hand out


Part E: What is Momentum?
1. use the Blue Holt Book to answer these questions on your handout

2. Go to : Physics4Kids: Momentum for information to answer the
................................................. second half of the questions: click here
Part 2: History of Roller Coasters:
Ever wonder where roller coasters were first created? Curious what the talest coaster in the world is?

Step: F: Answer these questions by visiting the following sites:
Brittanica.com: click here
Roller Coasters: Inventing the Scream Machine Timeline: click here
Roller Coaster Record Book: find the fastest/tallest/ etc: click here
Amusement Park Physics: click here
...........Successful Designs:
Using the websites listed to the right, complete the data collection sheet to gather information regarding the types, heights, speeds, and lengths of roller coasters from various amusement parks.
Watch: How Roller Coasters Work: click here

Step: G: ..Compare THESE Designs:
............-Six Flags Magic Mountain Coasters: click here
............-Cedar Point (Ohio) Roller Coasters : click here
............-King's Island (Ohio) Roller Coasters : click here
............Watch: Roller Coaster Physics: click here
............Watch: The Tallest Floorless Roller Coaster: click here

......Roller Coaster Motion
Did you know?? Roller coaster use an engine & cable only at the first hill. After that, no more external energy is added to it! That's amazing!

 Step: H:Roller Coaster Motion : So, here is the big question of the day:
How does a roller coaster continue to move through the twists & turns of its track if it only uses an engine at the beginning?
Read: Physics4Kids: Motion & Energy: click here
Watch: How Roller Coasters Work: click here
..................Roller Coaster Energies: click here
...................Bill Nye on Energy: click here
Roller Coaster Elements
There are many different elements of a roller coaste. Choose 4 of the "elements" list to the right and explain what they are, and what they do.

Step: I: Roller Coaster Elements
Batwing ..... Butterfly Inversion ..... Camelback.... Cobra Roll....Corkscrew .... Diving Loop ....
Hammerhead Turn .... Heartline Roll .... Horseshoe .... Immelmann Loop .... Norwegian Loop ....
Pretzel Loop .... Raven Turn .... Sea Serpent Roll .... Top Hat ..... Vertical Loop
use the sites listed below, or just "Google" the terms:
Wikipedia's Roller Coaster Thrill Elements: click here
Roller Coaster Database Glossary: click here

Part 3: Design & Planning Step: J: Complete the 6 design questions. You may need to look up some of the terms

watch a video about a rollercoaster designer!
click here

Step: K: Build your roller coaster on line: click here / click here
Planning Your classroom coaster: Think about what part of the room you want to build your marble roller coaster in. What kind of special features do you want? Hills? Loops? Corkscrews? Your group will be provided with 6 foam insulation pipes and a roll of masking tape. Jot down at least 5 of your ideas.

Testing: Now go build that Roller Coaster!