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Formula for Thrills
This interactive online game from Siemens sets students a series of challenges to design a roller coaster which needs to reach the end of the ride and at a safe speed. Students use problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills to change some of the track features and see how this affects the speed of the rollercoaster.
The game supports the science and mathematics curriculum for students in key stage three and key stage four.
The game has several levels to suit different age ranges and abilities.
- Level one looks at how height affects the speed of the rollercoaster
- Level two introduces horizontal distance as an additional variable
- Level three guides students through a series of calculations.
The formulae sheets, included in the teacher guidance, help students to structure these calculations which include how to calculate gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy and velocity at various points along the ride including a drop and loop the loop. (The answers are included on a separate worksheet.)
In addition, the teacher guidance includes six extension activities ranging from designing a ticket booth, planning a business to running a theme park.
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