If you are still wondering about where the unusual choice of classroom fits into the curriculum, rest assured! As soon as the ride was over, groups of students could be seen recording results, arguing their findings and working collaboratively to calculate a result. As for the ‘Invader,’ students were tasked with calculating the maximum centripetal acceleration! The Fear Fall takes into account Galileo’s classic experiments that led to the finding that all objects fall at the same rate, regardless of their mass. Ideas that physics students might ponder are: ‘Why don’t the cars of a roller coaster fly off the track? Why don’t the passengers fly out of the cars? How high does the first hill of a roller coaster have to be in order to complete the ride? What physical laws determine how many hills, curves, and loops a roller coaster track can have?’ĭodgem Cars bring Newton’s third law of motion into play (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). Gravity and friction control the rest of the ride. A coaster gains gravitational potential energy as it is pulled to the top but this changes to kinetic energy as the coaster begins its descent. Roller coasters are pulled to the top of the highest hill on the track and then released. More than just a thrill ride, this is an excellent illustration of the laws of physics in operation. If you are wondering how a fun park and physics go hand in hand, take the roller coaster as a prime example. With a vertical and a horizontal accelerometer strapped to their wrists, and a stopwatch, calculator and pen to take measurements and record results, our groups of NCEA and IB Diploma physics students set out at Rainbow’s End to complete a large range of tasks that included a Roller Coaster, the Fear Fall, Dodgem Cars, a Log Flume and the ominously named ‘Invader’ as part of their equipment list! To experience physics in action while having a bit of fun was a golden opportunity for the students to learn more about simple harmonic motion, gravitation, the interchange between potential and kinetic energy, momentum, impulse and other physics concepts. Whilst an adventure park may seem an odd choice of ‘classroom,’ the rides are more than just thrill-seeking. One of the highlights of the science year for our Year 13 physics students is the practical field trip to Rainbow’s End to prepare for an internal physics assessment. Whilst their peers were at College getting on with their school work in class, our Year 13 NCEA and IB Diploma Physics students took their learning offsite for a morning to hang upside down, fall from great heights and crash into one another, all in the name of physics! Upside down in the name of Physics at 1:00 PM New Girls' School and Specialist Facilities.New Boys' School Senior Classrooms and Specialist Facilities.However, many took note of the log’s slow-moving trail throughout the mountain ranges and saw there was potential to “re-invent the wheel,” so to speak - specifically, the engineering company Arrow Development, a company dedicated to developing amusement park attractions. Thus the seeds for this timeless American attraction were planted.Īs technology continued to advance, the need for these flume systems quickly diminished. They stated this was to provide constant inspections on their progress, however, it is rumored that there was a minor thrill element involved in this as well. In fact, many of these workers would hop into a log themselves and give the flumes a proper ride-through. Developed in the late 1800s, lumberjacks created a complex system of wooden flumes that used a steady flowing stream of water to deliver the wood to the proper sawmill. This need for innovation inspired America’s first log flume system. Even the brawliest of the lumberjacks would have a difficult time making constant treks to deliver said timber on a daily basis. A popular contender during these times was the lumber industry, which often relied on the lush ecosystem in the western mountains.ĭue to the rough and steep terrain, it was nearly impossible for lumber workers to transport large amounts of wood back and forth. Thus, many had to take a cold hard look towards new industries to make a profit. Where some settlers found bountiful fortunes, others were left with nothing but the scraps. However, the sheer demand for gold was outweighed by the vast amount of settlers competing for a slice of the action. Interestingly enough, the history of these attractions doesn’t come from the minds of theme park engineers, but from the rustic frontier of America’s booming lumber industry.ĭuring one of America’s most notable moments in history, the Gold Rush inspired thousands of pioneers to flock to California.
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