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Amusement Park Ride: Ups and Downs in Design
| Content Provider | TeachEngineering: STEM curriculum for K-12 |
|---|---|
| Author | Cyr, Marthy Shade, C. |
| Copyright Year | 2013 |
| Description | Students design, build and test looping model roller coasters using foam pipe insulation tubing. They learn about potential and kinetic energy as they test and evaluate designs, addressing the task as if they are engineers. Winning designs have the lowest cost and best aesthetics. Three student worksheets are provided. Students design, build and test model roller coasters using foam tubing, toothpicks and masking tape. As if they are engineers, teams compete to create the winning design based on costs and aesthetics. Guided by three worksheets, students prototype, test, evaluate and finalize their ideas, all while integrating energy concepts. The goal is to understand the basics of engineering design associated with kinetic and potential energy to create optimal roller coasters. The marble (roller coaster car) starts with potential energy that is converted to kinetic energy as it moves along the track. The diameter of the loops that the marble traverses without falling out depends on the kinetic energy obtained by the marble. |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Rights Holder | Regents of The University of Colorado Wepan/worcester Polytechnic Institute |
| Subject Keyword | Physics Science and Technology Kinetic Energy Roller Coaster Design Process Gravitational Force Potential Energy Engineering Design Process |
| Content Type | Text Video |
| Time Required | PT1H45M |
| Education Level | Class VII Class VIII |
| Pedagogy | Experimental Activity Lecture cum Demonstration |
| Resource Type | Hands-on |
| Subject | Physics Technical |
