Q4 STEAM Roller Coaster: Design
Designing your coaster
Step 1. Will you start your coaster with a low or higher hill? Explain why.
Step 2. What type of shape will be safe and give the feeling of "weightlessness" for a thrilling experience (Smooth, angled, or obtuse slope)?
Step 3. When exiting the first hill, what type of path will give the coaster maximum energy for the next hill?
Step 4. Will there be enough energy to reach the top of the second hill and over it? Will it create enough energy to do a loop?
Step 5. Will you have a loop, and if so, what type will be safe?
Step 6. Drawing: Have someone in your group draw what your coaster will look like using your choices of the five design options from above, indicating the height or length of each part.
You are now ready to try out your design ideas.
Competencies & Standards
MITECS Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students, and
3. Knowledge Constructor
c. Curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods
4. Innovative Designer
a. Know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems
b. Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks
c. Develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process
d. Exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems
5. Computational Thinker
b. Collect data or identify relevant data sets
Websites and Documents
Websites
- Amusement Parks Physics
- ck-12 Physics Simulations
- Design a Roller Coaster
- Five-step Engineering Process
- How Roller Coasters Work
- How Stuff Works - Roller Coasters
Videos From Outside Sources
- Dad Builds Backyard Roller Coaster YouTube
- How Can a Roller Coaster go Upside Down without Falling? PBS Kids Video
- I Built a Huge Lego Roller Coaster Floor to Ceiling YouTube
21t4s Videos
- None
21t4s Documents & Quizzes