Bailey Ryan
Roller Coasters can be used to determine math problems. If you’ve ever gone on a roller coaster you know that most of them have a loop or a drop. If you haven’t gone on a roller coaster, you are missing out because they are extremely fun. In math, you could consider the loop on a roller coaster as a circle. You can also consider a drop on a roller coaster as a parabola. A parabola is an open plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to it’s side. A circle is a round plane figure whose boundary consists of points equidistant from a fixed point. Most people already know that roller coasters can be found in science, but now you can know that math can be found in roller coasters as well. My favorite roller coaster that has a parabola on it is the Intimidator 305. Also my favorite roller coaster that has a circle in it is the Carolina Cobra, both found at Kings Dominion. What is your favorite roller coaster that you’ve rode? Does it have a loop or a drop?
Bailey Ryan
24 Comments
Hayley Jones
4/28/2016 07:53:45 am
I was always super nervous when I went to Cedar Point in Ohio, because I knew my family was going to make me ride the Top Thrill Dragster. It always scared me because I didn't trust the engineers who built it since they had to make sure that the car goes fast enough to go straight up the huge hill and then have a system of brakes at the bottom to slow it down after coming straight back down at almost a 90 degree angle. But know I know that with some trusty math it will always be safe. I rode it for the first time last summer and it's been my favorite ever since!
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Bailey Ryan
4/28/2016 08:24:09 am
Yeah, I was like that the first time I rode on the Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion. I was so scared to go on it, but when I did it was so fun and every time I go to Kings Dominion now, I ride it about 4-5 times in a day. I think many other people are scared the first time they try something, but after they try it they learn to love it. I find roller coasters to be very fun and they let you let loose and feel free.
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Fayth Serlick
4/28/2016 12:49:24 pm
I love to ride roller coasters, from the fair, I love fireball. There is one at Universal Studios called The Mummy and I love that one but the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is probably my all time favorite. The angle of it going up is very intense and also all the turns you do throughout the ride.
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:14:23 am
I love the fireball, as well. I've never been to Universal Studios, but I have always wanted to go there. I agree the angle of the Intimidator 305 is very intense and it makes you want to black out with how fast it goes.
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Caroline Foy
4/28/2016 05:14:19 pm
I agree with you 100%! I absolutely love rollercoasters! I have many favorites, the Carolina Cobra, the Griffon, and the Dragon's Challenge. All of these rollercoasters have drops and loops, thats what makes them fun!
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:17:27 am
I agree that the loops and drops make the rollercoasters fun. I have been on the carolina cobra, but that wasn't my favorite ride at Carowinds. I've never rode on the Griffin or the Dragons challenge, either.
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Daniela
4/28/2016 06:50:18 pm
I agree with you Bailey. I go every year to Carowinds just to get on the Rollercoastersame and have a great time. We can obviously tell how much math it takes to construct them, but at the end it's worth it because it entertain people and make them have fun.
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:20:23 am
I agree, engineers do put a lot of math into the making of rollercoasters bur at the end of the day, they turn our to be something that everyone will love!!! I wouldn't really like being an engineer dealing with how much effort and time you have to put into the making of a rollercoaster.
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Reid Barnett
4/28/2016 07:45:39 pm
Yeah in fact they also use math to make sure the forces do not over exert the car or track making roller coasters incredibly engineered.
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:21:59 am
Thanks reid for giving me more information on how math can be put into rollercoasters.
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Daniel Pursifull
4/28/2016 07:55:24 pm
I agree, roller coasters are great and I never really thought about math with it. Some coasters can make a simple circle like the fireball we all know and love or can be as crazy as "the smiler" (if u have never seen or heard of this one, try graphing every parabola on it. I'm betting it'll take a while)
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:25:44 am
I agree, engineers put a lot of time and effort into the making of a rollercoaster that everyone will know and love. Not all rollercoasters are shaped the same, but that just gives people different types of rollercoasters they can try and see if they like it.
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Hannah Williamson
4/29/2016 05:10:59 am
I like how you said that roller coasters are used to determine math problems, but you said that the loop would be like a circle. I don't agree with that statement. I believe that the loop would be more like an ellipse, because it is more in the shape of an oval. I think its really interesting how engineers get the math exactly right so that the roller coaster will not fall over or people will not fall out.
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:28:01 am
I also find it interesting how much math engineers put into rollercoasters. I also think it must be very hard to get the math to be exactly right in order to make the rollercoaster perfect.
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Bryce Garner
4/29/2016 06:08:19 am
This was a very interesting post. I have always wondered how math was involved with roller coasters but never actually knew. This was very cool to read and my favorite roller coaster was called the Griffon!
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:29:33 am
I'm glad you liked my post Bryce. I've never rode on the Griffon, but I know that I will ride it one day!!
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Riley Howell
4/29/2016 06:46:16 am
I love roller coasters as well!! Like Hayley said, the momentum of the cart is also very important when considering math associated with roller coasters. Engineers have to be very intelligent in order to assure that the cart goes at the correct speed, to make it around the loops and up the hills. Great post!
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:31:35 am
Thanks Riley, I'm glad you liked my post!!! I find it very interesting how much time and effort engineers put into the making of a rollercoaster.
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Anna Breck
4/29/2016 06:51:01 am
" if you haven't ridden one you're missing out." Made me laugh. I really enjoy roller coasters so this one was a lot of un to read. Have you ever thought about the motion equations?
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:33:44 am
I love rollercoasters as well!!! I have thought about the motion equations and that is also found in rollercoasters that involve science and math.
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Holden Jones
4/29/2016 07:03:12 am
I can also see how the engineers of the roller coasters would have to calculate the parameter of the tracks so it would not derail by going too fast on a sharp turn. Good point on looking at the math in roller coasters.
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Bailey Ryan
4/29/2016 08:35:43 am
I agree, engineers do have to figure out a lot of math to go into the making of a rollercoaster. Rollercoasters are very fun but there is a lit of work put in in the rollercoaster in order to make it fun.
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Charity Williams
4/29/2016 10:38:08 am
I think that this was great example of how math is used because whenever we go to amusement parks we fail to think about how they are created. In fact, we are more concerned about the thrill it brings rather than the thought it took to create it .
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Navya Dixit
4/29/2016 12:50:53 pm
Interesting, roller coaster engineerers use many formulas to help make roller coasters safe for passenger. Even though roller coaster engineers make rides safe, I still get nervous before I ride.
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