8th Grade Web Quest

(assigned Wednesday, June 3...due end of class June 4)

Roller Coaster Physics

An introduction to KINETIC & POTENTIAL energy

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html

ROLLER COASTER BASICS

1)      What is actually more dangerous than riding in a roller coaster?

2)      Since you are not pulled around a track by a motor while riding a roller coaster, what exactly IS it that drives the thing?

3)      Once you're underway, different types of __________________________ help keep the ride smooth. _____________________  _____________________ guide the coaster on the track.

4)      _____________________  _____________________ control lateral motion (movement to either side of the track). A final set of wheels keeps the coaster on the track even if it's inverted. _____________________  _____________________   _____________________  stop the car as the ride ends.

5)      Describe in detail the differences between wood and steel roller coasters:

HISTORY

6)      In the ___________________________ in ___________________________, the forerunners of present-day roller coasters were huge blocks of ___________________________ that were fashioned into sleds, with ___________________________ or ___________________________ on the icy seat for passenger comfort.

7)      ___________________________ was used to help slow down the sled at the end of the ride to keep it from crashing, a technique based on the principle of ___________________________. Later, more elaborate wooden sleds were built with iron runners to increase the speed and intensity of the ride.

8)      When and where was America’s first roller coaster?

9)      When was the first “gravity switchback train” introduced?

10)  When was the first “underfiction coaster” introduced?

11)  What was significant to roller coaster history about the year 1959?

12)  When was the first successful “inverted coaster” introduced?

13)  Now, go back to the second page of this site and find (on the right) the “Design a Roller Coaster” link. Click on it!!!!

·              Follow the instructions (read EVERYTHING), and when you have designed your first track, draw it and give your safety and fun rating (thumbs up or down).

·              Do it a second time, and if you were unsuccessful at getting a double “thumbs up,” work to accomplish this. Again, draw it. If you WERE successful, find another successful design.

** Now, visit this site: http://library.thinkquest.org/2745/data/ke.htm and complete the following:

_________________________ Energy

14) Potential energy is the same as _________________________ energy. The "_________________________" energy is held within the _________________________ field. When you _________________________ a heavy object you exert energy which later will become kinetic energy when the object is _________________________.

15) A lift motor from a roller coaster exerts potential energy when lifting the train to the top of the hill. The _________________________ the train is lifted by the motor the more potential energy is _________________________; thus, forming a greater amount if kinetic energy when the train is dropped. At the top of the hills the train has a huge amount of _________________________ energy, but it has very little _________________________ energy.

_________________________ Energy

16) The word "_________________________" is derived from the _________________________ word meaning to move, and the word "_________________________" is the ability to _________________________. Thus, "kinetic energy" is the energy of _________________________ -- it's ability to do work.

17) The _________________________ the body moves the more kinetic energy is produced. The greater the _________________________ and _________________________ of an object the more kinetic energy there will be. As the train _________________________ down the hill the potential energy is _________________________ into kinetic energy. There is very little ________________________ energy at the _________________________ of the hill, but there is a great amount of _________________________ energy.

Theory

18) When the train is at the _____________________ and _____________________ of the hill there is _____________________ any potential or kinetic energy being _____________________ at all. The train at the bottom of the first drop should have enough energy to get back up the height of the lift hill.

19) The "_____________________" in riding these amazing rides which seems more of a phenomena that is only a _____________________. In practices, the train never could make it back up the hill because of _____________________ forces. Friction and air resistance, and even possible mid-course breaks, are dissipative forces causing the theory to be changed but not destroyed. These forces make it _____________________ for the train to have enough energy to make it back up the lift hill's height. In the absence of the dissipative forces the potential and kinetic _____________________ (_____________________) will remain the same. Since the mechanical energy is destroyed by the forces, the first hill is always the _____________________.

DEFINE, “dissipative:” ______________________________________________