8th Grade Science - Roller Coaster Project

Questions to answer when visiting websites

1. What is potential energy?
2. What is kinetic energy?
3. What is lateral motion?
4. What does friction control?
5. What types of brakes do roller coasters have?
6. Does the type of wheel impact the way roller coasters work?
7. Compare wooden roller coasters vs. steel roller coasters
8. How do you know the lead horse on a carousel?
9. What amusement ride shows all of Newton’s laws of motion? Explain how this is so.

1. Potential energy is known as energy of position. What is meant by this?
2. What does a lift hill do when building a roller coaster? Press play and see what happens and note why.

Other websites to go to for project

http://www.udel.edu/sine/students/coasters/
Click on the website for Discovery Channel and type “roller coasters” in the search box to find out information.

http://www.escu.k12.mn.us/envision/gradrule/lesson_1.html

http://www.sci-quest.org/home/just_for_kids/coaster.phtml
Build your own coaster