🚀 go-pugleaf

From: Chris Deyo and Alan Gibson
=09 Rochester Adams High School
=09 Rochester Hills, MI

Regarding:  Amusment Park Physics Labs

Background:  We have been doing Physics Labs at Cedar Point for over 10=20
years.  We do a motion lab on the bus that we adapted from the AAPT Amuseme=
nt=20
Park Physics Group under Carol Escabar and others.  We have the students do=
=20
two other labs that we have stolen, borrowed etc, from other physics=20
teachers all over the the country.  The students spend from 4-6 hours=20
working on the labs and we end up with an awesome load of labs to grade.  E=
ven when we went to partners=20
a few years ago the load is still unreasonable.  We are thinking about=20
requiring less paper work from our students and hopefully getting more thou=
ght.

Accordingly, we are looking for feed back from our fellow physics
teachers.  Chris has written the following as the starting point for our
discussion about what we would like to do this year.  If you could give us
your impression of this first draft by Tuesday, we would be very
appreciative.  We are thinking about having our students develop their own
Cedar Point labs using the guide lines that follow.=20

 One of the most exciting places to see the ideas we have studied this year
in action is on the rides at Cedar Point.  We would like you and your partn=
er
(2 people) to take two of the concepts listed below and analyze a ride of
your choice with respect to these concepts.  We would like to see a large
variety of rides examined.


WE WILL PROBABLY ASSIGN RIDES TO THE TEAMS SO THAT WE DON=D5T GET 45 MAGNUM=
=20
LABS.

Energy Transformations and Conservation
Impulse and Momentum change and Conservation of Momentum.
Inertia
Circular Motion
Acceleration
Apparent Weightlessness
Design for biological sensation

CAN YOU ADD TO THIS LIST?  ANY REACTION TO INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTS?

To successfully complete this portion of the lab you should prepare ahead o=
f
time.

Identify the ride you will examine.
A good diagram is a necessity.
Include a description of how the concept is demonstrated or applied at=20
KEY sections of the ride.  You should show a person's motion throughout the=
=20
section on your diagram. =20

Explain how a person interprets (what sensations are felt)  the application
of the concept.
Take data and calculate numerical values for these concepts at specific
locations.

Be specific and complete.  You may choose any ride you wish, but be sure to
apply the two concepts you chose through the entire circuit of the ride.

Prepare in advance.  Think about the equations you may need to perform
calculations.  Talk together and write down how you expect to feel at
specific locations on the ride and then compare it to how you actually feel
when you are on it.

THANKS=20