Roller Coaster Physics
Problems: Design a roller coaster run that has a loop and two hills. You will need to design a roller coaster that allows the marble to run the entire course and complete the course the fastest.
Hypotheses (complete sentences):
1. Can all the hills be the same height? If not, why?
2. Can the hills get bigger or must they get smaller?
3. How will you determine how big or how small the hills can be?
4. Do the steepness of the hills matter?
5. Is it better to make the hills steep or not so steep? Why?
6. How curvy should the tops of the hills and the valleys be? Why?
7. Should you design sharp turns or smooth turns? Why?
8. What provides resistance on the roller coaster causing the marble to slow down? How can this resistance be reduced?
Materials: meter stick, stop watch, small and large marble, insulation tubing, 2 m of masking tape, textbooks
Procedure:
1) Answer the hypotheses questions as a group. Before you can proceed get the hypotheses stamped.
2) Design a roller coaster run that has a loop and two hills. Make your roller coaster design on paper with strips. Cut and glue the strips on a second piece of paper to create a 3-D model of your roller coaster. Get your design stamped. Each person needs their own design.
3) Record the mass of the small marble in grams convert to kilograms.
4) Use the small marble to test your design. Does the marble complete the entire course? How fast does it run?
5) Make adjustments and test to see if the marble can run through the course several times. Try to make the marble run faster.
6) Measure the length of your track from start to finish.
7) Time the marble for the entire length of the track and record it on your table. Do this 5 times.
8) Once you have a working design. Draw your design on a piece of paper. Include length of track and height measurements.
9) Repeat your procedures #4-9 for the larger marble.
10) Find the mean time and use it to calculate the track speed using the formula:
speed = distance / time
11) Using your track speed as the final speed, and zero as the initial or beginning speed, calculate the acceleration of the marble using the formula:
acceleration = (final speed - initial speed ) / time
12) Repeat the same procedures but use the large marble. Record the mass of the large marble and do 5 timed trials.
13) Calculate the force of the small marble and the large marble with the following formula:
Force = mass (kg) x acceleration (m/s2) force is measured in Newtons (N)
Data:
Name of coaster: ______
Drawing of Final Design: Small marble. (Don’t forget to label all heights and lengths.) Draw Large Marble track on the back. (Don’t forget to label all heights and lengths.) Get your final drawings stamped after you show Ms. Collins that the coaster completes the course and all requirements have been met. Must be neat!
5 Trials and Average of Runs
Trial / Track Time (sec) with small marble / Track Time (sec) with large marble1
2
3
4
5
Mean (average)
Calculations (Show your work) Refer to procedure for formulas.
Mass (kg) Convert g=kg / Mean track time (sec) / Track length (m) / Track speed (m/s) / Acceleration (m/s2) / Force (N)Small marble
Large marble
Class Data
Team / Coaster Name / Track Speed (m/s) sm marble / Acceleration (m/s2) sm marble / Force (N) sm marble / Track Speed (m/s) lg marble / Acceleration (m/s2) lg marble / Force (N) lg marble1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Do the following Vocabulary and explain how it applies to this lab in complete sentences:
Example: 1. principle of conservation of energy: The principle that within the universe, or any closed system, although energy may transform from one kind to another, the total energy remains constant. This applies to this lab because the total energy should remain constant at all times and in all places on the roller coaster.
2.friction:
3. gravitational potential energy (GPE):
4. gravity:
5. heat (thermal energy):
6. kinetic energy (KE):
7. mechanical energy:
8. acceleration:
9. Newton's First Law of Motion:
10. Newton's Second Law of Motion:
11. Newton's Third Law of Motion:
12. balanced force:
13. unbalanced force:
14. air resistance:
15. normal force:
16.velocity:
Questions (answer in complete sentences):
1) What forces are slowing the ball/car down, resulting in a loss of mechanical energy?
2) Where are the mechanical energy forms: gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy demonstrated in this lab? How does this help explain how a roller coaster works?
3) How are Newton’s 3 laws demonstrated in this lab?
4) Name all the forces acting on the roller coaster? Draw 2 vector diagrams on your roller coaster picture that show the different forces. You may want to choose 2 of the various locations: the ball/car at rest on the starting point, the ball/car going down a hill, a ball/car in the loop, the ball/car going the home stretch (before it stops).
5) When there is a change in the mass of the ball/car, how is the force, velocity and acceleration affected?
The Thrill Factor
On rides such as roller coasters (and even swings), where the rider experiences fast changes in velocity due to increases or decreases in speed or simply changes in direction, the rider is subjected to unbalanced forces that give the rider an illusion of feeling heavier or lighter than normal. Through our sensing of these unbalanced forces, we judge the “thrill factor” of a ride to be high when they occur frequently in a ride. Some of the best rides give us the illusion of weightlessness for short periods of time.
6) Where on the roller coaster would you expect to feel heavier, and where would you feel lighter? Identify these places on your roller coaster design.
7) Use Newton’s law of inertia to explain these illusions of heaviness and lightness, also known as positive and negative “g forces.”
Dividing the work among lab partners: As a group you may decide however you would like to divide the work or you can do all part together. Your group grade is dependent on overall completion of the lab. (150 points)
· New Title (2 points)
· Hypotheses written in complete sentences (8 points)
· individual roller coaster designs (4 points)
· 2 successful roller coasters construction (8 points)
· 2 neatly drawn, labeled, and measured roller coaster designs ( 12 points)
· vocabulary and how the terms apply to the roller coaster in complete sentences (30 points)
· timed data table (12 points), calculations with work shown (12 points), class data table (2 points).
· answers to the questions in complete sentences 1-(2), 2-(4), 3-(6), 4-(6), 5-(6),6-(4), 7-(2)
· the RERUNS conclusion (30 points)
Your grade will be based upon completion of each part of the lab that you were responsible for (25 points)
score / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6+Does not do the part of the lab they were responsible for. / Starts the part of the lab assigned to them, but does not complete it. Many errors and is messy. / Completes over half of the lab assigned to them, with many errors and is messy. / Completes the part of the lab assigned to them but there are many errors. / Completes the part of the lab assigned to them, but with some errors. / Completes all parts of lab assigned to them correctly and neatly. / If completed part of the lab assigned to another person.
You also have a participation grade that your group partners will grade you upon (25 points)
Score / 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5Lab partner: / Does not participate. Is more of a hindrance than a help. Disrupts others. / Participates but does not successfully complete one or more of the requirements listed in level 2. / Arrives on time ready to work. Shows respect for others. Cares for lab equipment. / Stays focused on assigned task and complete the lab work. Cleans up area and equipment. / Helps lab team stay focused and completes tasks. Shares work equally and helps group solve problems. / Assists others as they work. Facilitates the participation of all in the group. Tutors and or supports other students.
Each partner will complete this table on a separate sheet of paper and turn it in. Score yourself as well. If your group consistently gives you a zero, than you will receive a zero for the lab.
Lab partners / Part of the lab assigned / Did they complete their parts? / Did they participate well in a group?6 5 4 3 2 1 0 / 5 4 3 2 1 0
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 / 5 4 3 2 1 0
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 / 5 4 3 2 1 0
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 / 5 4 3 2 1 0
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 / 5 4 3 2 1 0