Curated OER
Physics of Roller Coasters
Students design a roller coaster and demonstrate their knowledge of Potential and Kinetic Energy. They determine the average velocity a given marble travels on their roller coaster and apply their knowledge of various measurement systems...
DiscoverE
Build a Roller Coaster
Let the good times roll as young thrill seekers build a roller coaster on school grounds. Future engineers design and build a roller coaster from flexible tubing. The roller coaster is for a marble, so there will be plenty of room to let...
CK-12 Foundation
Roller Coaster
Roller coasters rely on both kinetic and potential energy, but how much total energy does a roller coaster need? Scholars vary the mass of a coaster and the height of the initial hill. Graphs showing the types of energy and total energy...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Roller Coaster Mania!
Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create...
Curated OER
Amusement Park Physics
Young scholars conduct a series of experiments on conservation of energy and momentum. In this physics lesson, students investigate the factors affecting the period of the pendulum. They build a roller coaster and calculate the marble's...
Curated OER
Take a Roller Coaster Ride
Young scholars investigate how roller coasters are built. In this physics lesson, students research the laws of physics that affect roller coaster construction. Young scholars create their own roller coaster design.
Teach Engineering
Amusement Park Ride: The Ups and Downs in Design
Groups design the ultimate roller coaster by considering potential and kinetic energy. They test their designs using marbles and then go on to rate each group's design based on aesthetics, loop diameter, and cost.
Anchorage School District
Roller Coaster Project
Emerging engineers work in teams to design pipe insulation roller coasters for marbles that meet specific parameters. They are required to label along the track the areas where kinetic and potential energy are highest and lowest, where...
Curated OER
Physics of Roller Coasters
Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters. For this engineering lesson students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster.
Curated OER
Electricity's Attraction
Middle schoolers explore the different features of a roller coaster using an interactive website. In this physical science lesson, students explain the role of science to make this thrill ride possible. They develop a creative...
Curated OER
Ball Bearing Roller Coasters and Teamwork Lab
Students discuss potential and kinetic energy and design roller coasters to study this concept. In this energy lesson, students discuss the potential and kinetic energy of a roller coaster. Students design roller coasters and hypothesize...
CK-12 Foundation
Energy Conservation Simulation
Does the amount of a roller coaster's energy change as it goes along the track? Scholars investigate when a roller coaster has potential and kinetic energy. They observe the changes as it goes up the initial hill follows it throughout...
University of California
Marble Rollercoasters
Don't let your classes coast through school! Engage them in their learning as they build their own roller coasters to study potential and kinetic energy. Young scholars complete several challenges that require them to consider the...
Curated OER
Acceleration
The mechanics of rollercoasters, and the acceleration and velocities reached with the different kinds, are outlined in this presentation. Although short, this would be a great starter for a class working with building rollercoasters or...
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
DiscoverE
Marble Run
It's time to slow your roll! Can your class create a track that allows a marble to roll as slowly as possible? Teams of science scholars collaborate to design, build, and test their tubes while learning about gravity and friction.
Curated OER
I Feel The Need For Speed
Young scholars are introduced to the concepts of speed, velocity, acceleration and inertia. In groups, they use the internet to research rollercoasters found in the United States and calculate their acceleration rates. They use the...
DiscoverE
Kicking Machine
Don't kick the resource to the curb; you'll definitely regret it. Future engineers devise a kicking machine that launches a ping-pong ball toward a target. They can use a pendulum, a rubber band, or both, depending on whether they want...