Roller Coaster Efficiency

A marble roller coaster is built using foam pipe insulation to explore how gravitational potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy as the marble moves along the track. By timing the marble over multiple runs, students can calculate average velocity and analyze how track shape and height influence motion.

1. Design a roller coaster track foam pipe or plastic tubing.
2. See links below for ways to calculate energy and determine efficiency.

Lab - Energy (Rollercoaster) - Part 1 - Set Up - Penndale Science:

📄 Roller Coaster Physics: https://www.eriesd.org/cms/lib/PA01001942/Centricity/Domain/1397/Roller%20Coaster%20Lab.pdf

📄 Build a Paper Roller Coaster - Ben Finio: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/paper-roller-coaster

• Build tracks with loops, jumps, or spirals to see how they affect velocity.
• Compare different starting heights to measure changes in potential and kinetic energy.
• Use marbles of different masses to explore how mass influences motion.
• Introduce frictional surfaces to simulate real roller coaster resistance.

• Do not stand on tables or desks while setting up the track.
• Keep the workspace clear of obstacles and tripping hazards.
• Ensure the marble path is safe and does not launch the marble toward people or fragile objects.

• What is potential energy? (Stored energy due to an object’s position or height.)
• What is kinetic energy? (The energy of motion.)
• How does the height of the starting point affect the marble’s speed? (Greater height increases potential energy, which converts to more kinetic energy and higher speed.)
• Where on the track does the marble move the fastest? (At the lowest point where potential energy is minimized and kinetic energy is maximized.)
• How could friction and air resistance affect your results? (They reduce the total energy converted into motion, slowing the marble.)
• What real-world factors influence roller coaster design? (Friction, air drag, material strength, safety limits, and energy conservation.)