nerdi
Coaster Canyon
Rivet the retired engineer tortoise needs coasters for a park about to open in a red rock canyon. Children snap together lifts, drops, hills, loops, turns, boosters and splash pools, then ride in the front seat while live energy bars and a g-force meter show what is happening. When a design rolls back or turns the riders green, Rivet explains why, and the engineer improves it.
ages 8–12 · about 25 min
What you'll learn
- Height (potential) energy turns into speed (kinetic) energy and back
- Friction takes a little energy every metre, so each hill must be lower than the start
- A loop needs plenty of speed at the top, so the coaster must start much higher
- Fast turns push riders sideways: banking and brakes keep the g-forces comfy
- Engineers test, measure and improve their designs