The Rollercoaster Project
Description of Project:
For this project we had to create a rollercoaster that would fully function on it's own. It could either be on the table or on the wall; I chose to do the wall. The track is made of flat track and the car we used to ride on it is called a wally. We had to learn all about the conservation of energy, potential and kinetic energy to understand how the rollercoaster works.
For this project we had to create a rollercoaster that would fully function on it's own. It could either be on the table or on the wall; I chose to do the wall. The track is made of flat track and the car we used to ride on it is called a wally. We had to learn all about the conservation of energy, potential and kinetic energy to understand how the rollercoaster works.
Video of my Rollercoaster in Action
Reflection:
I was very excited when I found out we were going to do this project. My brother did it when he had Dawn his freshman year at High Tech High Media Arts and it is still one of his favorite projects. Also getting to go to Six Flags made this project even better. My favorite part of this project was seeing our final rollercoaster smoothly work. With all of the problems we had, I would have never thought it would ever work.
I learned about potential and kinetic energy and how they relate to rollercoasters. Also, the conservation of energy, which is that energy cannot be destroyed or created, only transformed. So when riding a rollercoaster the potential and kinetic energy add up to the total energy even when it changes.
I was very excited when I found out we were going to do this project. My brother did it when he had Dawn his freshman year at High Tech High Media Arts and it is still one of his favorite projects. Also getting to go to Six Flags made this project even better. My favorite part of this project was seeing our final rollercoaster smoothly work. With all of the problems we had, I would have never thought it would ever work.
I learned about potential and kinetic energy and how they relate to rollercoasters. Also, the conservation of energy, which is that energy cannot be destroyed or created, only transformed. So when riding a rollercoaster the potential and kinetic energy add up to the total energy even when it changes.
Calculations of Potential & Kinetic Energy in My Rollercoaster
My Physics Concept
My Efforts:
I definitely worked my butt off during this project and had a ton of fun of course. I feel like the work was split up pretty evenly between my partner and I which was nice. We worked really well together and everything worked out in the end.
I definitely worked my butt off during this project and had a ton of fun of course. I feel like the work was split up pretty evenly between my partner and I which was nice. We worked really well together and everything worked out in the end.