GRIZZLY       VORTEX       DEMON
FLIGHT DECK

DATA

Before you ride

Time for the entire ride ___________

Length of Track (Grizzly: 975 m, Demon: 700 m, Vortex: 585 m, Flight Deck: 689 m) _________

While you ride

Maximum acceleration (in g's) _____ experienced at

Minimum acceleration (in g's) _____ experienced at

QUESTIONS - Qualitative

1. Did you sit in the front or back of the train? ____________ How does your position in the train affect your ride? (Ask a friend who sat in a different part of the train to share their measurements.)

 

2. Describe the forces acting on you as you went down the first hill.

 

3. Where on the ride did you experience the greatest acceleration? In which direction was it? Why there and not another place?

 

4. Was there a place on this ride where you felt like you were being lifted out of your seat? Where was it? How did the ride create that feeling?

 

5. Where was the highest hill on the roller coaster? Why was it located there?

 

6. What are the elements (in physics terms) that make a roller coaster "scary"?

This is a worksheet designed to be used to elicit qualitative analysis of a roller coaster ride. It may be very useful to your students as part of an overall package of educational materials for Physics Day/Science Day.

Download a Word file of this worksheet

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