Roller Coaster Design Challenge - Robert Capraro - Aggie STEM
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Roller Coaster Design Challenge
Robert Capraro
What The Kid Activity Requires
Think – (30 min) Review common roller coaster designs and
construction materials.
Talk – (20 min) Brainstorm tower designs and building solutions.
Plan – (40 min) Draft design and calculate. Plan how it will be
assembled as a team
Learn –(50 min) Discover the mathematics, physics, and
engineering principles guiding your build.
Build – (90 min) Draft tower design with edges and vertices clearly
identified, then build tower.
Look Back – (20 min) Test and refine tower to meet all of the
design specifications.
Project Overview Day 1: Introductions & Challenge Background Day 2: Research, Brainstorm, & Plan Day 3: Analyze & Build Day 4: Test & Refine Day 5: Communicate & Reflect
A team of Engineers
The Engineering Design Process
Problem and
Constraints
Communicate
Research
and Reflect
Engineering
Design
Test and Process
Ideate
Refine
Build Analyze Ideas
Are you ready?
Challenge
You and your engineering team are entering a contest hosted by
The bid specs include the design their newest rollercoaster attraction.
The team will design and build a prototype with a given set of
materials. Celebrity judges will score the rollercoasters based on
performance, creativity, safety, and fun/scare factor. All roller coasters
must demonstrate safety 4 out of 5 rides.
Make a Name for yourself
As a business competing to design and engineer Fiesta
Texas’ new award winning rollercoaster attraction first
impressions are important. You will pick a company
name that represents the group and is helpful for
selling your final product to the judges.Learning Objectives • Explain why it is important for engineers to understand how roller coasters work. • Explain in physics terms how their model roller coasters work. • Discuss the effects of gravity and friction in the context of their roller coaster designs. • Use the principle of conservation of energy to explain the design and layout of roller coasters. • Identify points in a roller coaster track at which a car has maximum kinetic and potential energy. • Identify points in a roller coaster track where a car experiences more or less than 1 g-force. • Identify points in a roller coaster track where a car accelerates and decelerates.
Theta, {eq} Radial, {eR} •By definition, the velocity and acceleration vectors in Polar are given by:
Tangent, {eT}
{v} = {vR }{eR } + {vq }{eq }
Normal, {eN} = r! {eR } + rq! {eq }
{a•} = {aR }{eR } + {aq }{eq }
= ( !!
r - rq! 2 ){eR } + ( rq!! + 2r!q! ) {eq }
•For circular motion, the distance to the point, r, is constant and equal to the magnitude of the radius, L. So:
r = L ( constant )
L = radius
dr
r! = =0
dt
dr!
r=
!! =0
dt
•Substituting into Equations and , the expressions for velocity and acceleration simplify to the following:
{v} = 0{eR } + Lq! {eq }
{v} = Lq! {eq }
{a•} = ( 0 - rq! ){eR } + ( Lq!! + 2 * 0 *q! ){eq }
{a} = -rq! {eR } + Lq!!{eq }
•The speed of the particle can be found by:
( speed = s! = {v} ) = ( vR )2 + ( vq )
2
{v} = ( 0 ) + ( Lq! )
2 2
{v} = Lq!Velocity
• Angular or Rotational
• Linear
#$%
• Speed = distance/time !=
&'($
For this activity:
1. time will be measured in seconds
2. distance will be measured in centimeters• Acceleration is the change in velocity over time.
!" #!$
• A=
%" #%$
• Curvature = radius
!&
• Acceleration of Direction=
'()!*%()+Kinetic Energy
• KE = kinetic energy
• m = mass of a body
• s = speed of a body 1 (
!" = &'
• Kinetic energy = ½ of mass X velocity2 2
• 1 Joule [J] = 1 Watt-second [Ws] = 1 N m = 1 kg m2s−2Potential Energy
PE = mgh,
• m is the mass in kilograms
• g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m / s2 at the surface of the
earth)
• h is the height in meters.
What is the potential energy for a body that is 54g at 21 cm?
54& 9.80. 212.
!" = & × /0 × 2.
1000 100
)& .G Force(s)
!
• Gravity is 9.8
"#
• Calculate your Mass.
– My weight is 225 lbs
– The equation is $%&& × ()%*+,- = 10 1) $- 23+0ℎ, 15 3%),ℎ
– $×0 = 61)73
– What would my weight be if I experienced 2G?~ zero g
Max g force
Materials • 200 popsicle sticks • 1 glass marble • Wood glue • 1 golf ball • 9 ft pipe insulation • 1 stopwatch on your • 4 ft masking tape phone • 5 sheets of heavy stock • 1 Dixie cup
The Bid You will need to present your product to the judges and sell it. You will create a poster (Digital Poster) and a sales pitch. The Sales pitch should include an explanation of your poster. The pitch is your opportunity to sell your product to the judges and business partners should equally represent themselves in the pitch.
Things to think about
The Celebrity judges will score your rollercoaster.
Creativity Points - Points are awarded for each of the following
items included in a group’s roller coaster.
• Every 50 cm of height 1 point
• 90º turn 1 point
• 180º turn 2 points
• 270º turn 3 points
• Loop 3 points
• Corkscrew 4 points
• Overall fun/scare factor 0-5 pointsThings to think about
The Sales Pitch Points are awarded for the overall presentation
and merchandising of your roller coaster.
• the science behind the coaster 5 points for each learning objective
covered
• Mathematics to Support Safety 15
• Partners equally represented the company 0-15 points
• Professionalism 0-15 pointsThe Bid The Poster should include.. 1. description and theme of your roller coaster 2. company name 3. the science and safety of your roller coaster 4. 2D draft (blueprint) with specs
Debrief • What aspect of the task created the greatest conversation? • If you do not feel successful what led to that feeling? • What did you learn from the activity? • How would you change this activity for your students? • What social skills would you work on with your student before you try an activity like this?
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