I've seen students make awesome looking roller coasters, but because of a lack of testing, it fails right at the start. Remember, momentum is the force that keep the marble going in the direction it's currently moving. Sudden turns or drops that do not account for the marble's momentum may result in the marble flying off of the track. Start the coaster high and test regularly. I often see students wistfully creating awesome-looking features that don't work because they do not account for how much energy the marble has. Marbles have a limited amount of energy, so encourage the students to plan their roller coaster according to how much energy the marble has. Remind the students that the tape needs to be smoothly applied. Encourage experimentation and you'll be amazed with the ingenious ideas that arise in your class!Īfter I show my students the basics of how to construct the roller coaster, I end my lecture with the 4 big mistakes that I see people make: These are the most common roller coaster elements, but I've also seen funnels made of newspaper, jumps, tunnels, corkscrews, helixes, double and triple loops, suspended tracks, and configurations that don't have a name. In the photo with the upside-down loop, you can also see how to secure track alongside a wall by using a long piece of tape. Upside-down loops are created by taping a piece of track upside-down onto the end of a track, then curving the upside-down piece so that it becomes right-side up. If the hill is too small and the marble is travelling too fast, the marble's momentum will carry it up the hill and then continue it's trajectory off the track. This is another good opportunity to illustrate the negative effects of momentum. Hills can be made by securing the track to a flat surface, then lifting the middle of the track up and securing the other end. Centripetal force is like momentum: it's when an object wants to keep moving forward, except that it's forced into a circular path. You can explain that loops work because of centripetal force. Loops can be created by securing the track to a flat surface, then bending the track upside down and securing the other end. Now for the fun stuff! A roller coaster that just goes in a straight line can be fun, but I find it much more satisfying to include exciting elements.
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