VOLUME 19 ISSUE 6 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Physics of Fun ■ KidsPost Reprint: “How Do Roller Coasters Work? Come Along for the Ride.” ■ Student Activity: Water in the Cup Lab ■ Student Activity: The Revolution of the Ferris Wheel ■ Student Activity: All Aboard the Ferris Wheel ■ Student Activity: Picture the Wheel May 14, 2020 NIE.WASHINGTONPOST.COM ©2020 THE WASHINGTON POST VOLUME 19 ISSUE 8 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program INTRODUCTION If Only Newton Could Take a Ride Today Some articles are evergreen. Not news sensitive, they may be published as space allows in print editions or when they may be grouped with other stories online. The KidsPost and Post articles in this resource guide are examples. The evergreen article is a foundation for comparison and contrast with then and now. They may be updated with innovations in roller coaster design or construction of higher observation wheels. The articles, animation and science labs in this guide address the learning styles: visual (animation, labs), auditory (reading articles aloud, discussion), kinesthetic (Water in the Cup Lab) and reading/ writing (“How Do Roller Coasters Work? Come Along for the Ride.”). Mathematics, KATHERINE FREY/THE WASHINGTON POST Apocalypse, a roller coaster at Six Flags in Largo, Md., on a test run. visual arts, engineering, reading and composition disciplines work together with students’ experiences at fairs and amusement parks. Newton’s Laws can be seen all over amusement parks in experiences as varied as bumper cars, tests of attendees’ strength with hammer and bell, and Gravitron rides. In this resource guide, we focus on roller coasters, Ferris wheels and observation wheels. Whether on a Ferris wheel, observation wheel or roller coaster, students experience wonder, thrills and frights as well as the forces of gravity and centripetal acceleration, influence of speed and personal expectations. It’s what Joni Mitchell called “Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel.” If only Newton could take a ride today. On the cover: A drone’s view of the Jolly Roger amusement park in Ocean City on April 8. Devoid of people because of stay-at-home orders amid the pandemic, public spaces appear almost like empty movie sets. On the cover: RICKY CARIOTI/THE WASHINGTON POST May 14, 2020 ©2020 THE WASHINGTON POST VOLUME 19 ISSUE 8 KidsPost An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program How Do Roller Coasters Work? Come Along for the Ride. MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST Apocalypse was very much a work in progress when KidsPost took a tour in April 2012. The ride welcomed its first thrill-seekers in May. Is there anything that compares with on the track? Why do you come out of we love them so much. the mounting terror you feel as a roller your seat? And, of course, what’s the best Coasters look like trains but they don’t coaster lurches up that first big hill? place to sit in a coaster for the maximum have engines. What makes them go? “What was I thinking? Is it too late to thrill? KidsPost’s Michael Cotterman Traditional coasters have energy from get off?” talked with roller coaster designer Jim what’s called potential energy. You Of course, you don’t really want to get Seay (pronounced “Shay” — he designed get potential energy when you raise off. Being scared is a big part of the fun the Joker’s Jinx at Six Flags America) to anything from one height to a higher of riding a coaster. Still, how do they stay figure out how coasters work and why height. So when the coaster train goes 3 May 14, 2020 ©2020 THE WASHINGTON POST VOLUME 19 ISSUE 8 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST There’s 2,900 feet of track that climbs and dips, twists and turns on Apocalypse, Six Flags’ roller coaster at its Prince George’s County theme park. from the station to the top of the lift, it going over the bunny hops, because the Understanding g-forces (gravity has potential energy. vehicle is being forced to change its forces) are the key to designing rides. If you have a ball that’s sitting on direction. When you go over the crest of G-forces are what we feel every day. the ground, it has no energy. But when the hill, the roller coaster is being pulled When you accelerate in a car, you feel you’re lifting it up in the air you’re downward, but your body is a split- your body pushing you in the seat. giving it potential energy. When you second behind, so you feel weightless. There is more gravity acting on you drop it, the potential energy changes to Is it better to ride in the front or back because you’re going faster. On coasters kinetic energy. or middle? the g-forces you feel are the ones that Why do you come out of your seat Personally, I like riding in the back, are pushing you down in your seat. coming down a steep hill? because you can see the train in front of Those g-forces are affected by how tight When you go down a steep hill you doing incredible twisting motions the curves in the track are and how fast you’re starting to reach a case of almost as you are traveling down the track. you are traveling on the track. Designers weightlessness. As you get closer and You have that anticipation as you see use the speed and the curves of the closer to being weightless, your body’s the train making a sweeping turn to the track. Even if you’re upside down they pressure against the seat becomes less right, and you know in a split-second can make sure that your body is still and less [and you come out of your seat you will be experiencing that. pushing into the vehicle. ■ a little bit]. How can a roller coaster go upside Michael Cotterman The other time you feel as if you’re down in those big loops? Why doesn’t August 28, 2003 coming out of your seat is when you’re it fall? 4 May 14, 2020 ©2020 THE WASHINGTON POST VOLUME 19 ISSUE 8 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Water in the Cup Lab Centripetal Force Is there a way to have a cup of water over your head without it spilling all over you? Keeping the water in the cup could seem like an act of defying gravity — but there is a way! Newton’s first law states that an object in motion will stay in a straight line motion until acted upon by an outside force. If you can redirect the water away from you, the water will not spill onto your head. The weight force, Fw, of the water is always pointed down, towards the center of the Earth. Luckily the bottom of the cup is holding water up with an equal and opposite force, FN, consistent with Newton’s third law. When you turn the cup upside down, there is no longer a support force, FN, the forces are unbalanced, and the water accelerates towards your head (Newton’s second law) and gets you all wet. Attaching supportive strings to the edge of a cup and swinging the cup around over your head, you turn the water’s inertia to your advantage. At each point of the circle, the water wants to shoot out tangentially, but the cup being pulled by the string’s tension force applies an outside centripetal force, Fc, to change its direction. The constant change in direction keeps the water herded in the cup overcoming the water’s inertia to escape and keep you from getting your head wet. In this lab, you will construct a cup to verify water will stay in the cup even when the cup of water is upside down. Materials • Plastic cup, sturdy • Nail • Three 3-foot pieces of string Directions 1. Use a nail to poke three holes equally spaced around the top of a sturdy plastic cup. 2. Tie one of the 3-foot strings to each of the holes around the cup. 3. About one foot above the cup, tie all three pieces of string together. + 4. Fill the cup with water. Start with less to practice. 5. Hold the string so the cup hangs about knee height. Make sure you have a tight grip on the strings. Start to swing the cup back and forth. Then make a complete circle with the full cup. Keep up the speed. 6. When you’re ready to stop, extend your arm on the down swing to give the cup a chance to slow down to stop before spilling 5 May 14, 2020 ©2020 THE WASHINGTON POST VOLUME 19 ISSUE 8 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program OptionalOptional Calculations Calculations During this lab you can feel the force involved to make the cup swing in a circle. There are qualitative questions below to answer based on your interactions. The actual amount of force can be calculated. A list of required measurements are listed followed with step-by-step calculations. Data m = 9.8 __m Gravity S2 Mass of cup and water m = _________g Length of string from hand to the middle of the r = _________m cup Time for one revolution = _________s (Hint: Record the time it takes to make five revolutions.