Q4 STEAM Roller Coaster: Plan

Plan your coaster

Step 1. Check with your teacher and/or design partners, and create a note-taking document to take notes on your design decisions. Discuss and decide:

• What note-taking application will you use? (Google Docs, Word, Pages, a graphic organizer, or other?)
• Will one partner take the notes or will each person take turns
• Will the note-taking document be a shared document you can all edit?

Step 2. Use the Design a Roller Coaster website for this activity.

Step 3. Select the height and shape of the first hill, an exit path, the height of the second hill, and create a loop. Below is a screenshot of a design that received two thumbs down for safety and fun. Can you create a design that gets a thumbs-up?

Step 4. What are some key concepts based on your research about applying kinetic and potential energy physics to create a safe and fun roller coaster?

Step 5. Go onto the next page and answer the questions in your note-taking document using the vocabulary terms (Potential and kinetic energy, energy loss, friction, mass, velocity, gravity).