Texas Amusement Park Physics

Description

Real world applications of STEM principles can greatly enhance student interest and engagement. Imagine using an amusement park as a physics laboratory!

Six Flags Fiesta Texas is an amusement park in San Antonio, Texas, and four rides are investigated: a traditional gravity roller coaster, a looping gravity coaster, a Linear Induction Motor (LIM) launched coaster and a carousel. Investigate velocity, acceleration, work, power, energy and circular motion in the real world. Activities are included for these rides which can be utilized during an actual visit to the park or completed in a classroom setting by providing students with certain data. A Teacher Guide with sample data and answers is included. Files are provided in Word format, so teachers can edit as they see fit.

Also included are videos of certain rides and sample data collected using Vernier sensors. Supplemental data is also provided for 12 additional rides at the park. All data is provided in Vernier Logger Pro and Graphical Analysis formats. Teachers can potentially create additional activities utilizing this data.