Crayton Middle School Inquiry Projects
Fall 2002 - Spring 2003
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Roller Coaster Physics
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Title of Project: Roller Coaster Physics
Question: In what manner do Newton's Laws of Motion affect
the safe design and operation of modern roller coasters?
Summary: The purpose of this project is to increase and
expand the roller coaster unit already in place at the seventh
grade level. Students will conduct experiments to discover how
Newton's Laws are applicable to the safe functioning of roller
coasters. Dr.Tedeschi, USC Physics Department, will provide
guidance on this project. Data will collected and will be used
in a presentation about physics.
Lead Teachers: Ann Carbone, Andrea Karaffa |
Roller Coaster Loop Lab
In mid-November, we received our "Force and Motion"
kits, which were developed by the Museum of Science and Industry
in Chicago. Although they contain many activities, we focused
on the roller coaster loop, which looks like a Hot Wheels looped
track. Working in groups, students were asked to find how high
the starting point of the track would have to be in order for
a marble to roll successfully through the loop. The activity
involved measurement, formulating a hypothesis, making several
test runs, and recording the results. Although students worked
in groups, they were required to have individual write-ups.
Here are two sample write- ups: |
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Roller Coaster Loop Lab Write-up
Ellison White
Materials: Loop-D-Loop track, a ruler, one big and
small marble, bowl (to catch marble )
Procedure:
1) We put the track together.
2) We opened the bag and took the marbles out.
3) We put the small marble on the track (on the ground) and
flicked it.
The marble didn't loop all the way around.
4) We raised the end of the track to 4 inches. That didn't
work; then 12 inches, then we did 18 inches and it worked.
Conclusion:
Our group said the solution was 18 inches with both marbles
because it didn't work on the other tries.
The formula we came up with was: L x 2 -3 = e, where
L equals the height of the track and e equals the height of
the loop.
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Roller Coaster Loop Lab Write-up
By George Zourzoukis
Problem: How high must your entry ramp be to get the
marble through the loop? Hypothesis: I think the ramp must
be higher than the loop.
Experiment: First we need to get the materials: a
ruler, Roller Coaster Lab, small marble, and some time. Then
we need to take a small marble and roll it down the slope.
Move the slope higher and higher. See what is the lowest point
that the marble will go through the loop.
Conclusion: In conclusion, my hypothesis was right.
The ramp has to be higher than the loop. Our loop was about
9.5 inches, and the ramp had to be about 15 inches. That is
what my group concluded.
Formula: r = I + 2 •4, where r = the height of
the loop and I = the height of the entry ramp
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Although the class groups did not discover the exact relationship
between the entry ramp and the height of the loop ( r =
3/2•1" where r equals the height of the
entry ramp and I equals the height of the loop), the formulas
came very close to being accurate. Students learned a good
deal about setting up the experiment, recording results, and
testing their hypotheses.
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| William and Jordan test a loop. |
Rhett, Melanie, Jonathon, test a loop. |
Noel, Virginia, Stuart, loop run. |
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| Mr. Corley helps Adger and Curran. |
Jordan, Loraine, Susan, Tristan build a loop |
Mr. Corley helps students. |
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Dr. Dave, the Physics Dude
On Friday, March 7, Dr. Dave Tedeschi of the USC Department
of Physics came to speak to a combined 7th/8th grade class
at Crayton Middle School. Dr. Dave's enthusiasm immediately
caught the attention of students. He began with a Power Point
presentation about the forces involved in rides at the fair
and amusement parks. Dr. Dave made Physics fun as students
were introduced to Newton's Laws and how theyapplied to the
excitement of such rides as the Wildcat, the Drop of Fear,
and some coasters at Carowinds and Hershey Park in Pennsylvania.
The presentation included some live clips of the Wildcat at
Hershey Park and the Drop of Fear at the South Carolina State
Fair.
After the presentation, students were actively involved in
hands-on activities to explore the forces that had been introduced.
Students especially enjoyed exploring equal and opposite reactions
by standing on a pedestal while rotating a hand-held bicycle
wheel as various forces acted upon them. Students were also
able to check out the force of magnetism, which is used to
brake many roller coasters.
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The students feel the force of the wheel. |
CPO Timer
The final component of our grant is the Cambridge Physics
Outlet Timer, which allows students to test the speed of a
marble at various points on a simulated roller coaster track.
The timer is a sort of C-clamp that hooks onto the track.
The beam of light inside the clamp measures instantaneous
velocity at a given point on the track. Students worked in
groups, using the timer to find the points on the roller coaster
track where the marble was traveling the slowest and the fastest.
After several test runs, students concluded that the marble
travels fastest when it is at its lowest point and travels
slowest when it is at its highest point on the track. Students
graphed their results and shared them with the class, and
also learned to work with velocity formulas.
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Rob learns the physics of magnetic forces. |
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