Round and round we go ... Physics students, Josh R., Gabe L., Blake J., and Luke V. ride the merry-go-round as a warm-up for the much bigger coasters in the park and to compile data for their labs.
With a stopwatch, a vertical force sensor, and a horizontal force inclinator/sensor, the physics department got on the road towards Jackson, New Jersey, on May 6, to go to the amusement park, Six Flags. What was so challenging was how to apply the formulas and trigonometric functions that the students learned in the classroom to the mechanical systems of the roller coasters and rides such as the carousel. However, after much deliberation and putting their minds together, the students were able to figure out most, if not all, of the questions in their, “Six Flags Great Adventure Physics Day Packet.” They used kinetic equations, translational motion equations, rotational motion equations, right angle trigonometry, conversion factors, and just a great desire for fun.
