On the 30th September, the senior students at Braeside had a day out at Thorpe Park. I don’t deny this was a lot of fun but there was an important Physics lesson to learn too. Rollercoasters are an excellent way to demonstrate how energy is constantly being transferred from one form to another. The effects of friction can be shown observing that the loops in the ride get progressively smaller. Tea cups are a great model for circular motion. It’s a perfect back ground to discuss ideas of momentum and inertia. Students used a work book to apply “text book” equations to infamous rides like Stealth and Saw. Physics is often regarded as an abstract science and this was a perfect opportunity to apply learning to real life situations.
And the weather was good too!
