Physics: Roller Coaster Design
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Title:
| Physics: Roller Coaster Design |
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Description:
| These sites have information, pictures, and videos about roller coasters. Design your own roller coaster online or follow the hands-on instructions to make one in the classroom. Learn how physics concepts such as potential energy, kinetic energy, and inertia apply to these rides. There are links to an eMINTS WebQuest about roller coasters and eThemes Resources on simple machines and the scientific method. |
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Grade Level:
| 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
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Resource Links:
| Ultimate Roller Coaster
This page has ride reviews, a picture gallery, record book, and a brief history of roller coasters.
NOTE: This site contains pop-up ads.
Six Flags: St. Louis
This Six Flags site has pictures and specifications for its rides, including the roller coasters.
Silver Dollar City
Click on "View Movie" to watch an animated video of the ride Wildfire. Requires Quicktime.
Roller Coasters
Learn the history of roller coasters and physics laws that stand behind them. Learn here about potential and kinetic energy.
The Physics of Amusement Parks
Follow links to learn how potential and kinetic energy, centripetal force and free fall make roller coasters run. Find out more about amusement parks and their statistics.
Encyclopedia: Friction
Read an explanation of friction. Click on "Factors Affecting Friction" at the bottom to learn more.Note: This site includes ads.
How Roller Coasters Work
This site explains how roller coasters run. The second page has an animation that shows the point when potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. Other topics include forces, gravity, inertia, and acceleration. Note: The site includes advertising.
Amusement Park Physics: Roller Coaster
Design your own roller coaster and see if it passes a safety inspection. Take a look at "Free Fall" and "Related Resources" at the bottom of the page.
Roller Coaster Physics
Click on the different physics terms to learn more about how they relate to roller coasters. Includes information on both kinetic and potential energy.
Roller Coasters
Click on this timeline to learn more about the history of roller coasters.
ThinkQuest: The World of Roller Coaster
Learn history, math, and physics of roller coaster. This site also includes quiz to test your knowledge on roller coaster. Many links to other sites related to a roller coaster.
Discovery School: The Ultimate Roller Coaster Contest
This lesson has instructions for building tennis ball roller coasters in the classroom.
Lesson Plans Page: Round and Round
This lesson plan has students build a roller coaster model to help them understand the concepts of potential and kinetic energy.
Encarta: Inertia
This online encyclopedia defines and explains inertia.
eThemes Resource: Simple Machines: Beginner
These resources explore the basics of simple machines. Topics include pulleys, wheel and axle, inclined planes, wedges, screws, and levers.
eThemes Resource: Simple Machines: Advanced
Presents interactive models of machines such as levers and pulley systems. Explains basic concepts of physics such as mechanics, force, and motion. Includes sites on the mechanics of sports and Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
eThemes Resource: Physics: Gravity
Learn here how the earth's gravity works. Includes photos, simulations, videos, hands-on activities, and online quizzes.
eThemes Resource: Physics: Force and Motion
Learn basic concepts of physics. Learn about force, motion, and friction using interactive simulations where you can manipulate the variables. Includes a link to an eThemes on Simple Machines, Magnets, and Gravity.
eThemes Resource: Physics: Forms of Energy
Learn about different forms of energy, renewable and nonrenewable energy. Includes definitions, videos, online games, and quizzes. Also read tips on how to conserve energy. Includes links to an eMINTS Webquest and eThemes Resources on heat, light, the electromagnetic spectrum, sound, and electricity.
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Education Standards:
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ME Standards:
I.2, I.3, I.2, I.3
MO Standards:
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 4.7, 5, 6, 2, 7, 8
NV Standards:
P.8.B.2, P.8.B.3
OH Standards:
3.C.3, 3.C.4, 3.D.2, 3.D.3, 3.D.4, 3.B.1, 3.B.2, 3.B.3
UT Standards:
III.1.b, III.1.c, III.2.e, IV.1.a, IV.2.a, IV.2.a, IV.2.b, IV.2.d, IV.2.e, IV.3.c, IV.3.d, IV.4.a
If you are an eMINTS teacher and standards have not been defined for your
state, click the button below to request that they be assigned to this resource.
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