Roller Coaster Activity

Written by Robin Reinarts and Kelly VanDusen

Click here to download as pdf.

Objectives: After completing this project, students should be able to:

construct a roller coaster that will accelerate a marble to speeds of at least 2 m/s
calculate terminal velocity, kinetic energy and potential energy for the marble
explain how the law of conservation of energy relates to the roller coaster

Materials: stopwatch, meter stick, paper and pencil, 2 pieces of pipe insulation, masking tape, marble, balance, calculator. All other materials used for coaster must be provided by students.

Hypothesis: Which will be larger, the PE (Potential Energy) at the beginning of the track, or the KE (Kinetic Energy) at the end of the track? Answer in a complete sentence.

Procedures:

Obtain the materials from the teacher, mark the marble so that you will be able to identify yours. Find the mass of your marble on the balance and convert it from grams to kilograms.
Title a piece of notebook paper, “Log Sheet.” Record the mass of your marble. Divide it into 3 sections labeled Trial 1 to Trial 3. Leave plenty of room! You may use more than one piece of paper.
On the log, draw a simple straight track roller coaster design and then build it with the pipe insulation. The end of the coaster must touch the ground. This is Trial 1.
Measure the each part of the coaster (starting height, height and width of loops, track length, etc.) so that you can REPLICATE your results and record the measurements on the drawing in your log.
Measure 2 m from the end of your roller coaster track and mark it with a piece of tape. This will be the 2 m distance you use to find your marble’s speed.
Roll the marble down the track, timing the marble from the end of the track until it hits the piece of tape. Record the time in your log.
Use the time from step 6 to determine the terminal velocity of your marble (v= d/t) and record the speed in your log.
Repeat steps 3-7 above for trials 2 and 3, trying different designs. BE SURE TO MEASURE AND RECORD EVERYTHING!!!
After the 3 trials, decide which design will get you the most points using the grading criteria chart. Build this coaster to show your teacher. Test it several times before you are graded by the teacher. If you aren’t sure you have the same marble as you started with, find and record its mass again.
Record the starting height, time, marble mass and drawing of your roller coaster.
After you have been graded, calculate the Potential Energy (PE) of your marble at its starting point and the Kinetic Energy (KE) of the marble at the end of the track on your log. Show your work and box your answers.

PE=mgh KE=1/2mv²

Compare the PE and KE, noting in the log any differences between them. Also note any other forms of energy you witnessed during your trials.
Complete the conclusions below and staple to your log, then hand it in.

Final Trial to Be Graded:

Starting height (m):_______ Time (s):_______ Mass of Marble (kg):______

Speed (m/s): __________ PE (J):_________ KE (J):___________

Drawing:

Conclusions: What happened to the potential energy of the marble as it traveled through the track?_____________________________________________________

Why did this happen? ____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Was your hypothesis supported by this experiment? Why or why not? ________

________________________________________________________________

Does your roller coaster obey the law of conservation of energy? Explain why or why not.
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Grading Criteria: complete log= 30 pts. speed < 2 m/s = +0 pts.

Marble completes track = 20 pts. speed 2-3 m/s = +5 pts.

each hill = +10 pts. speed 3-4 m/s = +10 pts.

each curve = +10 pts. speed > 4 m/s = + 15 pts.

each loop = +20 pts.

conclusions = 10 pts.

TOTAL POINTS EARNED = ________________

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