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Interactive

Loop-the-Loop

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Loop-the-Loop interactive also includes:

What prevents a roller coaster from falling when it goes upside down? Scholars experiment with a roller coaster simulation controlling the mass of the coaster, the height of the hill, and the radius of the loop. They learn which factors impact the success or failure of completing the loop.

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CCSS: Adaptable NGSS: Designed
Concepts
centripetal force, energy conversion, the law of conservation of energy, velocity, normal force, kinetic energy, potential energy, heat energy, work
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Additional Tags
science
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Instructional Ideas
  • Challenge scholars to make their own roller coasters; use pool noodles cut in half lengthwise to make the track and let them pick if they would rather use a golf ball or a ping pong ball for the car
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires a free CK-12 account to access the interactive
  • Assumes prior knowledge of velocity, energy transfer, and work
Pros
  • Shows a graph of the types of energy at each point along the track
  • Offers a walk through video to assist struggling pupils
Cons
  • None