Physics in Action: Rollercoasters!

Chasing Disasters: Hurricanes

Cecilia Astolfi

Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(8)

In this one-time class, I will teach learners about useful and wasted energy transfers, and some of the engineering challenges of making fun rollercoaster rides

Class Experience

The topics covered will be: 
- forces acting on people (and on the cart) when riding a rollercoaster, including the centripetal force
- transfers of gravitational, thermal and kinetic energy
- the idea of conservation of energy, input vs wasted and useful output 
- Application of Newton's laws to understand how our body reacts on a rollercoaster

The class will be structured around simple power point slides and the use of a free online simulation (created by the University of Colorado...

Master in Physics and 7 years of teaching experience.

If you have a toy rollercoaster, bring it to class!

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:University of Colorado Boulder

55 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.

The online simulation has no scary or upsetting content, it runs in any browser, and does not require an account. Students will be encouraged to explore it freely to see how different factors affect energy stores and motion. Here is the link: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/energy-skate-park

We will use a free online simulation, no account needed: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/energy-skate-park

Meet the teacher

Cecilia Astolfi

Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(8)

I am am experienced, qualified Science teacher specialised in Physics. I am a Chartered Teacher (status awarded by the UK Chartered College of Teaching). I have earned a 1st class MPhys (Master of Physics) from the University of St Andrews...