You and Your Team Will Design and Construct a Paper Roller Coaster

ROLLER COASTER PROJECT: Due Date – May 2nd 2017

OBJECTIVE

You and your team will design and construct a Paper Roller Coaster

DESIGN CRITERIA

1. Each roller coaster must include five design elements: a camelback, a loop, wide turn, a funnel and an incline. Horizontal loops are considered turns. 2. The coaster must be a complete circuit, just like a real roller coaster. 3. The marble must stay on the track through the whole roller coaster 4. The roller coaster cannot be touched during the test. In other words the tape and any objects other than your hands can only be used to support the roller coaster. 5. Your coaster must be stable. The track cannot move or shake when the marble travels along the track. 6. Your roller coaster must fit within the confines of your “construction area.” There is no height limit, and you may not intrude on another group’s area without their permission.

PROJECT QUESTIONS

1. Draw a neat, labeled sketch of your roller coaster. Include the following terms:

- incline

- camel back

- loop

- turn

-funnel

2. Write down the measurements of your Roller Coaster Height First Hill : ______m

Height of Inverted Loop: ______m

Radius of Loop: ______m

Average time for reaching the bottom of first hill: ______s

Calculation of speed at bottom of the hill:

3. Statement of conservation of energy from the top of the first hill to the bottom:

4. From the equation above, determine the velocity at the bottom of the hill:

5. How does the value of the measured speed compare to the calculation above? If they are different EXPLAIN.

6. Would your results have varied if the mass of the marble had been twice as big? EXPLAIN.

Calculations and Analysis

1. LABEL the following points on your roller coaster: a. Where the kinetic energy is the highest b. Where the kinetic energy is the lowest c. Where the potential energy is the highest d. Where the potential energy is the lowest e. Where there is positive acceleration f. Where there is negative acceleration g. Newton’s 1st Law h. Newton’s 2nd Law i. Newton’s 3rd Law j. Two forces that might slow your marble down (what kinds of forces have we talked about in class?)

Measure and record the following measurements for your roller coaster.

Time of ride = ______(seconds)

Mass of the marble=______(kg)

Go weigh your marble (you may have to weigh it in a cup, then weigh the cup, and subtract to get just the weight of the marble).

Length of the track = ______(meters)

Using the measurements above, calculate the following items for your roller coaster. Please show all of your work and label all of your answers with the correct units!!!!

2. Average speed of the ride (remember your speed equation???)

3. Acceleration of marble at one location on your roller coaster (remember your acceleration equation???)

4. The Force at one location on your roller coaster. Remember your force equation? (Use your acceleration from above) 5.Gravitational Potential Energy at the beginning of your ride P.E=mxhx9.8m/s2

6.Kinetic Energy at one location on your roller coaster: K.E = m x v 2 2

Requirements: You must create a working model of the roller coaster. You must create a roller coaster design plan. You must create a sign for your roller coaster. You must include some form of advertisement for your roller coaster. You must present your roller coaster to the class. Your group will try to sell your roller coaster design to a theme park. Explain why your roller coaster is better then everyone else’s roller coaster. Everyone in the group must participate. Create an attractive display that includes:

1. Several pictures for your model coaster

2. The Advertisement you created for your coaster