Mrs. Cline's Science Class!



DAY 1- COMPUTER RESEARCH/ ROLLER COASTER HISTORY

➢ You WILL need headphones for this webquest. I suggest bringing/using your own.

➢ Log on to the following website for links to all of the websites/videos necessary to -complete your research:

➢ Sign in as a guest using the Guest Name: sciencerc as shown here:

Day 1 - Task A: Define the following terms (4 points each)

Introduction: Why Roller Coasters?  Because they’re awesome thrill-seeking, scream-provoking, vomit-inducing machines! Even though these rides feel dangerous, they’re actually very safe inventions designed to feel as if you’re breaking all rules of science. Are they breaking any rules? Of course not, physics plays a huge role in the design, motion, & fun of roller coaster.

Watch “Build It Bigger: Kinetic Madness” go to: (2 minutes)

What is your favorite part of a roller coaster? _____________________________________________________________________

For definitions, go to

|KINETIC ENERGY- |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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|POTENTIAL ENERGY - |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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|ACCELERATION- |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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|CENTRIPETAL FORCE - |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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|G (FORCE)- |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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|NEWTON’S 2ND LAW - |Own words- |

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|Picture- |Related to Roller Coasters- |

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Day 1 - Task B: BrainPOP- Potential Energy (PE) & Kinetic Energy (KE)- (1/2 point each)

Step B: What is energy?

Watch both BrainPOP videos, absorb the knowledge and then answer the following questions. It will be too difficult to answer the questions as you’re watching the video clips! You can always watch a second time if needed.

1) Kinetic Energy:

2) Potential Energy:

Follow-up Questions for BrainPOP videos: (1/2 point each)

1. KE & PE are the 2 types of energy that relate to:

a. Change c. Density

b. Friction d. Motion

2. Which object has the most PE?

a. A ball resting on the ground

b. A ball thrown at 100 mph

c. A ball on top of a refrigerator

d. A ball resting on a cliff

3. When does a yo-yo have the most PE?

a. When it’s at its highest point

b. When it’s at its lowest point

c. When it’s moving between it’s highest & lowest point

d. When it’s moving at top speed

4. When is PE transformed into KE?

a. When an object at rest is lifted to a higher elevation

b. When an object at rest remains at rest

c. When an object at rest is put into motion

d. When an object in motion is stopped and put at rest

5. Which is the best synonym for PE?

a. Stored energy

b. Energy of motion

c. Energy due to gravity

d. Mechanical energy

6. Why do object at high elevations have more PE than objects at low elevations?

a. Because the thinner air at higher elevations means objects have a greater potential to move fast

b. Because gravity gives objects at high elevations the potential to fall much further

7. The amount of KE an object has depends on its

a. Mass & volume c. mass & speed

b. Volume & friction d. Speed & density

8. Which of the following has the most KE?

a. A car traveling at 80 kph

b. A tractor-trailer traveling at 80 kph

c. A cheetah running at 80 kph

d. A motorcycle traveling at 80 kph

9. When is KE transferred from object to object?

a. When those objects pass one another

b. When the first object outweighs the second object

c. When the first object has more PE than the second object

d. When those objects collide

10. There is a finite amount of energy in the universe. What does this mean? (opposite of infinite)

a. Energy is destroyed & created all the time.

b. There is a limited amount of energy in the universe.

c. Stars generate most of the energy in the universe

Day 1 - Task C: Kinetic and Potential Energy in Roller Coasters -

So, what do PE & KE have to do with roller coasters?  Glad you asked! A TON, actually.

1) First, watch: Millenium Force Roller Coaster, Front Seat:

2) Then, use the following animation (FLASH only)

3) What does Wile E. Coyote have to do with Potential Energy?  Check out this video:



4) Describe what happens to the amount of potential and kinetic energy for 2 of the 3 animations shown here. 

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animation 1:  

animation 2: 

animation 3: 

Animation #_____:________________________________________________________________________________

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Animation #_____:________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 2 - Task A: History of Roller Coasters (1 point each)

Go to the following website: , click on the words “Russian Mountains”.

1. When & where did the first roller coasters appear? ____________________________________________________

2. What was the first coaster made of? ________________________________________________________________

3. The coasters were eventually brought to Paris in ____________ in the form of Les Montagnes Russes. Small wheels were added to the sleds, but little attention was given to ___________________________________. Oddly enough, the injuries that passengers suffered from runaway cars ___________________________________ attendance.

You will need to skim through the other parts of the timeline to answer the following questions:

4. At the turn of the century, trolley companies built amusement parks at the end of their lines to attract riders. The best-known trolley terminus was ______________________________ in New York City.

5. Approximately how many coasters are in the world? ____________________

Go to the Roller Coaster Record Book:

6. What & where is the largest (in length) steel coaster? __________________________________________________

➢ How big is it? ____________________________________________________________________________

7. What & where is the fastest steel coaster? __________________________________________________________

➢ How fast is the fastest steel coaster? _________________________________________________________

Day 2 - Task B: Successful Designs (1 points each)

Watch “How Roller Coasters Work” video clip. . Pause the video as needed to answer the questions.

1. What are the 3 basic parts of a roller coaster?

1)

2)

3)

2. Is it easier to turn a wooden or steel roller coaster upside down (loops, cork screws)?

3. How does a roller coaster start?

4. When gravity pulls a roller coaster train down the hill, what is being built up?

5. Why is building up momentum important? (What does it allow the train to do?)

6. How does a roller coaster end (exit)?

Day 2 - Task C: Existing Roller Coasters (4 points)

Using the websites listed below, complete the data collection sheet to gather information regarding the types, height, speeds, & lengths of roller coasters from various amusement parks.

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|Name of Coaster |Notable Features |Height |Length |Top Speed |

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Watch the Kingda Ka Roller Coaster at Six Flags in New Jersey. It's being tested so there are no passengers. Why do you think this happens?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 2 - Task D: Roller Coasters Elements (6 points – 2 points each)

We’re not talking about the periodic table here…

➢ A roller coaster element is part of the track, often a corkscrew or flip, something that makes some people want to puke.

➢ There are many different elements of a roller coaster.

➢ Choose 3 of the "elements" listed below and explain what they are AND what they do.

Roller Coaster Elements:

Batwing ..... Butterfly Inversion ..... Camelback.... Cobra Roll....Corkscrew .... Diving Loop ....  Hammerhead Turn .... Heartline Roll .... Horseshoe .... Immelmann Loop .... Norwegian Loop .... Pretzel Loop .... Raven Turn .... Sea Serpent Roll .... Top Hat ..... Vertical Loop

Use the sites listed below, or just "Google" the terms:

➢ Wikipedia's Roller Coaster Thrill Elements: 

➢ Roller Coaster Database Glossary: 

|#1:___________________________ |#2:___________________________ |#3:___________________________ |

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Day 2 – Task E: Design & Planning Engineer Video - (1 point)

Watch a video of a roller coaster designer:

1. List 2 things you learned from watching this video.

1)

2)

Day 2 – Task F: Design & Planning - (1 point each)

Now you will be using the Google search engine () to find the answers to the following questions.

1. Draw a picture of a clothoid loop and a circular loop.

2. Why is a clothoid loop preferential to a circular loop?

3. List 3 differences between wooden and steel coasters? (not including the material they are made of)

1)

2)

3)

Day 3 – Task G: Roller Coaster Motion (5 points)

First watch:  Time Warp Roller Coaster Science:



I bet you didn’t know that…

➢ Roller coasters use an engine to power the coaster ONLY AT THE VERY BEGINNING.

➢ They’re dragged up to the top of the first hill, but from then on, no more external energy is added.

➢ You have to admit that’s pretty cool.

➢ But the big question, the question of the day, is… why? How does a roller coaster continue to move through the twists and turns of a track if it only uses an engine at the very beginning?

Check out these sites to find the answer:

➢ Energy Transformation on a Roller Coaster:

➢ Energy of a Roller Coaster:

➢ Watch:  Energy Conservation on Roller Coasters:

Using the information you just gathered, how does a roller coaster continue to move through the twists and turns of its track if it only uses an engine at the beginning? (Use at least 3 sentences to explain) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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➢ If you still need help understanding, how this happens and answering the question above go to the following website:

Congratulations! You are now ready to start building a model roller coaster!

Physics and Roller Coasters: Part 2

Name: _____________________________ Due By: _______ Period: _____ Total Points Earned: _________/20

What is Energy? (Use Forces, Motion and Energy text books)

1. Energy & Work – Working Together (page 124)

➢ Energy is the ability to do __________________.

➢ Work occurs when a ________________ causes an object to move in the ______________________ of the force.

➢ The unit used to measure work & energy is the ______________________________

2. Kinetic Energy (page 125)

➢ Do all moving objects have kinetic energy? ______________________

➢ Kinetic Energy Depends on ______________________ & ______________________

➢ The equation for Kinetic energy [KE] is:

➢ The ________________ an object is moving, the _______________ kinetic energy it has.

➢ The ________________ the mass of a moving object, the greater its _______________ energy is.

3. Potential Energy is Energy of Position (page 126)

➢ Potential energy [PE] is the energy an object has because of its _______________________

➢ One example of an object with potential energy is _______________________________________________

➢ Gravitational Potential Energy Depends on ______________________ & ______________________

➢ The equation for gravitational PE is:

4. Mechanical Energy Sums It All Up (page 127)

➢ Mechanical energy is _______________________________________________________________________

➢ What is the equation for mechanical energy?

Energy Conversion (pages 132 – 137)

5. An energy conversion is a __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

6. From Kinetic to Potential & Back

➢ Complete the figure to the right.

7. Conversions Involving Chemical Energy (p 133-134)

What are 2 examples of converting energy?

➢ _______________________ to _____________________________

➢ _______________________ to _____________________________

Conservation of Energy

8. Where does the energy go? (page 138)

➢ On a roller coaster, where is PE the greatest? ________________ Least? _______________________

➢ What force prevents an object’s PE from converting into KE? ____________________________

➢ When energy is used to overcome friction, some of the energy is converted into __________________ energy

9. Energy Is Conserved Within a ______________________ System (page 139)

➢ A closed system is a group of objects that ________________ energy between one another.

➢ An example that involves a roller coaster consists of the track, the ____________, & the surrounding _________.

➢ On a roller coaster, some mechanical energy (KE + PE) is transferred into _______________ energy (because of friction) & _______________ energy (because of the noise). Overall, you end up with the ____________ total amount of energy as the original amount of __________________ energy.

➢ The law of conservation of energy says that energy can neither be ________________ nor _________________.

➢ One example of conservation in a closed system is a light bulb. While not all of the original _________________ is converted into light energy, no energy is __________________.

What is Momentum? (page 52) (Use Forces, Motion and Energy text books)

1. Momentum, Mass and Velocity

➢ Momentum is a property of a moving object that depends on the object’s __________________ & _____________________

➢ If a compact car & a large truck are traveling with the same velocity, it takes longer for the _______________ to stop than it does for the _______________ if the same braking force is applied.

➢ Likewise, it takes longer for a _______________ moving car to stop than it does for a ______________ moving car with the same mass.

➢ The more momentum an object has, the harder it is to ___________________ the object or change its _________________.

2. Momentum is Conserved

➢ When a moving object hits another object, some or all of the momentum of the first object is _________________________________ to the other object.

➢ Figure 2 The momentum __________________________ a collision is _____________________ to the momentum _____________________ the collision.

➢ This example illustrates the law of ________________________________ of _________________________________.

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At the bottom,

Maximum

_____________ ____ energy,

Minimum

_________________ energy.

At the top,

Maximum ________________energy,

Minimum _______________ energy.

/10

Mechanical Energy =

PE =

KE =

m =

v =

/8

/16

/6

/10

/10

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