Amusement Park Physics With a NASA Twist - Space Flight Systems ...

Roller Coasters—Floater Hills
Ground Measurements
Locate a medium-sized hill on a coaster ride.
1.
Estimate the height of the hill from the ground to the
peak (A) by using the design of the structures. See
the Basic Skills section (page 31) if you have
forgotten how to do this. Show your work in the box.
A
Peak
2.
Use stepping to find the hill base distance B to C
(low points before and after the hill).
a) Your steps for 30 meters
b) Number of steps taken
c) Hill base distance (B to C)
(Hint: Multiply the number of steps taken by 30
meters and divide this answer by the number of
steps you take for 30 meters.)
B
Ground level
Show your work here.
C
3.
Check the ride information sign by the entrance of
the ride to find the total distance of the coaster.
a) Distance in feet
b) Convert your answer to meters
4.
Calculate the average speed of the ride. Stand by the
start and exit area. Take note of the number or color
of the car you will time. Time the ride from when the
train of cars leaves the start gate until it returns. Time
three cars from start to finish. Be sure to convert the
time to seconds. Fill in the table below.
Car 1
Car 2 Car 3 Average time, s
Total ride
distance, m
Average
speed, m/s
Total ride
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Amusement Park Physics With a NASA Twist
EG–2003–03–010–GRC