Miguel Vargas

Period 3 Physics

ISSN Reflection

The purpose of the project was to demonstrate our knowledge of the laws of motion,

gravity, and friction by creating a rollercoaster. In doing this project, we also demonstrated

mastery knowledge of the principle of conservation of energy. We were to use foam pipes and

household supplies to create a rollercoaster with at least two loops. A marble should be able to

go through the coaster and “loop the loop”; which means the marble will travel through the pipes

nonstop until reaching the end. When we were first assigned the project, we were excited to build

and design our own rollercoaster. We had seen our peers do this project the year before and saw

how much fun it was. Our original goal was not only to get an A but to make a roller coaster with

at least three loops because it would be a challenge.

Throughout the project, we had to make several decisions.We had to decide how and

when we were going to make our project. The first thing we did was set a date to work on the

project. When we got together we had to decide if we were actually going to go for the three

loops. At first we said we would do three but, as we experimented, we realized it was too

difficult for us to do three and settled with two. We tested the marbles several times, but

everytime it ran, it only made it through a loop and a half, that is when we realized it would be

more realistic for us to only pursue two loops. We also had to decide how steep the slope was

going to be. We tested the marble almost a hundred times and after some trial and error we

finally decided on a good angle where the marble was able to loop the loop every time. To

accomplish this angle we had to hold the end of the roller coaster in several different positions

until finding one that worked. We began with a 10 degree angle and finished with a 45 degree
angle. We were not able to accomplish our initial goal of three loops but were still satisfied with

the success of our two loop project.

During our project we learned our roller coaster needed enough kinetic energy to be able

to go through our loops. Since our roller coaster was made of foam we decided to have a high

origin so gravity could push our marble down, building up enough kinetic energy to be able to go

through our loops. We learned that we work well as a group and through trial and error were able

to make our roller coaster function. We excelled at sharing our thoughts and views on what steps

we should take next. If we could do things differently, we would be more creative with the

design of our rollercoaster, it was very simple next to some of our peers’ projects. We were

proud that we were able to make our roller coaster function similar to a roller coaster found at an

amusement park. However, we were disappointed that we were unable to add a third loop to our

roller coaster, which was our original goal.

We investigated the world by describing how mathematical relationships in a model

reflect a situation, and evaluates the model for limitations. More specifically, we performed

different calculations and used equations to figure out how many successful loops we could

make. We calculated the vertical velocity with the equations (Vyo=0) and

(VB=sqrt((VT)^2+2gh)). To ensure the marble successfully, “looped the loop” we used the

equations, (F=m*V^2/R) and A(c=V^2/R). The equations include the centripetal force, the mass,

the object’s velocity, the radius of the loop, and the centripetal acceleration. I recognized and

weighed perspectives by recognizing, articulating, and addresses different perspectives by

revising original ideas. For example, as a group we created an original idea for the rollercoaster.

As we progressed in the project, we ran into different problems such as not being able to

accomplish three loops and the marble stopping mid- second loop. However, we were able to
recognize and address the problem as a group, taking into consideration ideas from each group

member. For instance, one of my group members suggested we decrease the second loop’s

width, this allowed the marble to successfully run through two loops.