Designer Research
Read the Coaster Physics Book (pg. 5-6)
Go to the Newton’s Apple website OR Go to How Roller Coaster is
Made
7. The bigger the change in direction or speed and the less time that
change takes, the greater the acceleration and the bigger the force
you'll feel. What do designers do to keep forces at safe levels?
1. Why did the marble make it around the smaller loop, but not the
larger loop?
8.
Since land is expensive, how do designers save space?
Read the Coaster Physics Book (pg. 25, 27, 80, & 150)
2. How does the speed of the coaster affect the shape of the hill?
On the HowStuffWorks site Select Roller Coasters and Your Body
then go to the next page to: That Sinking Feeling.
9. What is airtime?
3. What can you do to a loop if the ball falls off?
Go to the Wise Geek site.
4. How can you shape the second hill?
10. Most roller coasters are designed not to exceed what G-force level?
Go to the eHow.com site.
Go to the Ultimate Roller Coaster and look at photographs of roller
coasters.
5. What are the differences between a wooden coaster and a steel
coaster?
11. Describe how the loops and hills are supported.
Go to the How Stuff Works site. Select Loop-the-loops (Inside this
article #8).
Go to the Everyday Mysteries site.
6. What two factors determine the intensity of the loop the loop?
12. How do roller coaster designers keep riders from falling out of the
cars on the track, even when they are upside down?