ROLLER COASTER TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN PROJECT
Project Based Learning Project
• Students will be answering the following question: “How do roller coaster designs obey the laws of physics?”
• Students will answer this question as a culminating project after a unit on energy, force, and motion
• Students will investigate the laws the physics that take place on a roller coaster as they build their own roller coasters with pipe insulation tubing, tape, and a marble (the passenger). They will further calculate the speed and acceleration of their design.
Alabama Course of Study Objectives Alignment
• #1. Identify steps within the scientific process.
• #8. Identify Newton’s three laws of motion.
• Defining terminology such as action and reaction forces, inertia, acceleration, momentum, and friction
• #10. Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy.
• Examples: potential—rock resting at the top of a hill,
kinetic—rock rolling down a hill
• #11. Explain the law of conservation of energy and its relationship to energy transformation, including chemical to electrical, chemical to heat, electrical to light, electrical to mechanical, and electrical to sound.
Supplies Needed by Each Group
• At least 1 six foot section of 1 in. diameter foam pipe insulation ($1.95 @ Home Depot)
• Glass marbles of different sizes (Mrs. Gantt has several marbles that she will loan or you may bring your own)
• Masking Tape
• YOU MUST HAVE ALL MATERIALS IN CLASS BY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26TH………
Requirements
• 1. Students will view Extreme Engineering and answer video questions related to roller coasters.
• 2. Students will research the physics of roller coasters from a pre-made webhunt provided by Mrs. Gantt.
• 3. Students will sketch initial drawings and subsequent drawings of each section of their groups coaster.
• 7. Students will calculate the speed and accelereation of the coaster car from the start to the finish of the track.
• 8. Students will record all information in their ROLLER COASTER JOURNAL. Each person is responsible for having their entire journal completed. The journal will count as 50% of their grade.
Roles of the Students
• Each student will be responsible for turning in their own design book on Tuesday Nov. 2, 2010. They will work in groups of three to four to build the roller coasters.
• We will discuss the different roles and tasks that need to be accomplished during building and testing, such as timer, recorder, marble launcher, and builder.
• The students will choose and divide up the tasks in their groups.
• Students will be actively engaged in the project as they design, construct, test, and analyze their own ideas.
Timeline: This project will take approximately 2 weeks to complete.
• Day one: (Friday, Oct. 22, 2010)
• Receive project packets/requirements
• View Extreme Engineering:Roller Coasters: fill in notes
• Day Two: Monday, October 25, 2010
• Roller Coaster Webhunt
• http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/huntrollercje.html
Students will view webpages that will explain the concept of building safe, yet fun roller coasters. They will see the physics principles that govern the construction on these extreme machines.
• Day Three: Tuesday Oct. 26, 2010
• Using the pipe insulation, marble, tape and base (if necessary)
• 1st-draw a sketch of the first hill of your coaster and the first ‘loop-to-loop’ of your coaster.
• 2nd-From your packet, use Part I: Experimental Procedure to construct and conduct experiments with the first section of your coaster
• Day Four: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010
• Draw a second sketch that includes a second hill and some time of curve.
• Write out a testing procedure including data tables to test your track. Procedures and data tables should be DETAILED. Sketch and procedures should be approved by Mrs. Gantt before testing begins.
• Day Five: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010
• From your sketches and the previous day’s written procedures begin building the second section of your track.
• Do not tape the coaster to the floor or base as you will most likely need to make design changes and alterations.
• Continue testing and making changes until your marble will travel the length of the track most of the time.
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• Day 6: Friday Oct. 28, 2010
• Final day of construction. Make final adjustments to your coaster. Once the marble will travel the entire length of the track MOST of the time, the track can be taped into position.
• You should write procedures to perform speed, acceleration and momentum test for 3 sections of the track. The sections should be marked A, B, & C on the track and the information should be included in your daily journal.
• Day 7: Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
• Procedures should be determined to calculate the average speed of the entire coaster as well as the acceleration of the entire coaster. This information should be included in your daily journal.
• Day 8: Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010
• Coasters will be presented in front of the class.
• Completed Design Book/Journals are due.
Design book and Journal contents
• 1. Cover page
• 2. Table of Contents
• 3. Notes from Extreme Engineering video
• 4. Completed webhunt
• 5. Initial Sketch of first hill and loop
• 6. Final sketch of first hill and loop with exact measurements of the a)rise b)run c)height of loop d) width of loop
• 7. Data Table for Day 3:
Diameter of the Loop / Height of starting point (rise) / Horizontal distance from starting point to beginning of loop / Number of successful attempts out of 10• 8. Your personal assessments of the day’s work. Was your group successful? Why? Did your group have difficulty? Why? What can you do to make the task easier?
• What design elements did you change? Why?
• 9. Write IN DETAIL your group’s experimental design for the next part of your coaster. Include data tables and any other helpful information.
• 10. Record all of your test results for the day.
• Include sketches of any design changes (be detailed with dimensions….what happens if someone accidentally knocks yours down?)
• Include a final sketch of the day’s coaster
• 11. Your personal assessments of the day’s work. Was your group successful? Why? Did your group have difficulty? Why? What can you do to make the task easier?
• What design elements did you change? Why?
• 12. A final sketch of your coaster.
• 13. Detailed experimental procedures for testing the speed, acceleration and momentum of the coaster at three different points on the coaster. Include data tables and remember that a number of trials should be conducted.
• 14. Testing procedures to determine the speed and acceleration of the entire track. Include data and tables.
• Your personal reflections:
• This should be a MINIMUM one page summary on what you learned. Some ideas that could/should be discussed: What was the most difficult part of the task. In which part of the task did you excel the most. If you could do the project over, what would you do differently. What will be your fondest memory of this project? What advice would you give to the 7th grade class?