WHAT ARE THE FORCES BEHIND THE FUN?
www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SENTENCES.
PART I.
START AT THE ABOVE WEBSITE ADDRESS ABOVE.
1. What do amusement park rides use to simulate danger while the rides themselves are typically very safe?
CLICK ON "THE ROLLER COASTER".
2. What is another name some people use to refer to roller coasters?
3. What drives the roller coaster (conversion of what types of energy)?
4. What controls the lateral motion on a roller coaster (movement to either side of the track)?
5. Name 3 differences between wooden and steel roller coasters.
CLICK ON "DESIGN A ROLLER COASTER", READ THE INSTRUCTIONS,
THEN CLICK ON "BEGIN"
6. Select the height of the first hill by clicking on one of the circles on the left side of the page. What height did you select?
CLICK ON "NEXT PIECE: SHAPE OF THE FIRST HILL"
7. Select the shape of the first hill, again by clicking on one of the circles on the side of the page. What shape did you choose?
CLICK ON "NEXT PIECE: THE EXIT PATH"
8. Select the exit path. What does your exit path look like?
CLICK ON "NEXT PIECE: HEIGHT OF THE SECOND HILL"
9. Select the height of the second hill. How high is the second hill?
CLICK ON "NEXT PIECE: THE LOOP"
10. Select the loop that you want. Which one did you choose?
CLICK ON "SEE YOUR ROLLER COASTER"
11. Make a table like the one below, and draw in your roller coaster.
Height of the first hill Shape of the first hill The exit path Height of the second hill The loop
12. Did you get a good or bad safety rating? What about your fun rating?
CLICK ON "YOUR SAFETY INSPECTION"
See Step 1 – Height of first hill
13. What is the best solution for first hill height? Why?
See Step 2 – Shape of first hill
14. Did you make a good choice? Why or why not?
See Step 3 – Exit path
15. Did you make the best choice? Why or why not?
See Step 4 – Height of second hill
16. Will your coaster be able to climb this hill?
See Step 5 – The loop
17. Was your choice a safe one? Why or why not?
CLICK ON “BACK TO YOUR COASTER”, THEN “BACK TO ROLLER COASTER”.
CLICK ON “BUMPER CARS”.
18. What law comes into play on the bumper cars? What does this law mean?
19. How do bumper cars work? What do they run on?
20. What happens when bumper cars collide?
CLICK ON “COLLIDING CARS”
21. What two scientific laws can you learn about by studying bumper car collisions? What do these two laws say?
CLICK ON “BEGIN”
22. Read the scenario below “Collision 1: One Car at Rest”, and choose the outcome you believe would occur by clicking on
“Select”. Was your answer correct? Why was it correct or incorrect?
CLICK ON “NEXT COLLISION”
23. Read the scenario below “Collision 2: Glancing Collision”, and choose the outcome you believe would occur by clicking on
“Select”. Did you predict the correct outcome? Why was your answer correct or incorrect?
PART II.
http://jvsc.jst.go.jp/find/rikigaku/english/index.htm
HIT THE CANCEL BUTTON WHEN IT ASKS YOU TO DOWNLOAD!
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS LETS STUDY FORCES – FALLING
CLICK ON THE REAL THRILL OF ROLLERCOASTERS
24. Why are roller coasters scary?
25. Click on “Next” twice. What is 1G?
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS MENU
CLICK ON WHICH IS SCARIER, THE FRONT SEAT OR THE BACK SEAT?
26. Why does a roller coaster feel different depending on where you sit?
27. Click “Next”. Which seat is scarier at the highest part of the track and why?
28. Click “Next”. Which seat is scarier at the lowest part of the track and why?
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS LETS STUDY FORCES – FLOATING
CLICK ON EXPERIENCING ZERO GRAVITY ON A FREEFALL MACHINE
29. Why were freefall machines originally made?
30. Click on “Why isn’t there any gravity?” Why isn’t there any gravity?
31. Click on “Next”. Why does the car end up facing upward? Click on “Next” to find out.
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS LETS STUDY FORCES – TURNING
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS ON A LOOP-THE-LOOP RIDE…
32. Is a large loop or a small loop more powerful? Why?
33. Click “Next”. What is centrifugal force?
34. Click “Next”. What happens to your body in a turning car? Why?
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS MENU
CLICK ON WHICH IS SCARIER, A BIG PIRATE SHIP OR A SMALL PIRATE SHIP?
35. Make your prediction – which do you think is scarier?
36. Play the animations. Which ship appears to have greater forces?
37. Click on “Next”. Which ship is actually scarier? Why?
CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS CHALLENGE PHYSICS QUIZ
38. Click on “Physics Quiz Challenge”. For question 1, where would the ball fall? Why?
39. For question 2, what did you predict? Were you correct?
40. What was the answer to question 3? Why?
41. What was your predicted answer for question 4? What was the correct answer?
42. Question 5 – What happens to a pendulum clock on the moon?
43. For question 6 choose A, B, or C. Which was the correct answer?
44. For question 7, which phenomena occur?
45. What is the strange thing that happens in question 8?