Marble Roller Coaster Potential Energy

As it moves higher it has more potential to fall to earth increasing its kinetic.

Marble roller coaster potential energy. Potential energy is gathered by an object as it moves upwards or away from the earth. Build your own marble roller coaster in this project and find out. Marble roller coasters are science based interactive toys that work on the principles of physics particularly changing potential energy into kinetic energy. This unit introduces potential energy and kinetic energy.

At the end of the roller coaster unit students should be able to describe what causes variations in the amount of potential energy an object has. The same principles apply to a real roller coaster. When the marble is released its potential energy transforms into the energy of motion or mechanical kinetic energy. Background roller coasters rely on two types of energy to operate.

They re miniature versions of the types of roller coasters you d find at amusement parks and they include twists turns and loops. With a roller coaster this is acheived by pulling the train up a lift hill to the coaster s highest point. This kinetic energy will never be greater than the marble s original amount of potential energy. Why we love roller coasters.

I often see students wistfully creating awesome looking features that don t work because they do not account for how much energy the marble has. The energy used to pull the. Marbles have a limited amount of energy so encourage the students to plan their roller coaster according to how much energy the marble has. Gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.

Start the coaster high and test regularly. Energy systems are explained using focus words including momentum velocity acceleration inertia friction and gravity. As it rolls over the hills and through the loops of the roller coaster it experiences a continual interchange of potential and. Abstract if you d like to investigate the physics of amusement park rides then this project is for you.

Since potential energy is only dependant on a change in height changing the run should have little to no effect on how far the marble travels. Given students the potential and kinetic videos clips at the end of the roller coaster unit students should be able to explain the difference between potential and kinetic energy. The marble rolls because it has gravitational potential energy. Before a roller coaster is launched it is slowly pulled up to the highest part of the track by a motor driven chain.

You ll build a roller coaster track for marbles using foam pipe insulation and masking tape and see how much the marble s potential energy at the beginning of the track is converted to kinetic energy at various points along the track. For example a coaster could go between three levels a desk a chair and the floor.