Random AsidesScience
Roller Coaster Physics on the Coney Island Cyclone
Here’s a bit of goofiness for you: Wendy and I took a few rides on the Coney Island Cyclone, and filmed it for kicks. Around our third go, as we climbed in the front seat we decided we should make a video that served as a physics lesson. See, there are a lot of interesting things one can learn about physics by studying roller coasters, so it seemed like a natural fit. We, um, weren’t able to fit as much educational material in as we had hoped. So instead, first you can enjoy our ride on the Cyclone:
and when you’re finished, go learn about physics with this cool roller coaster simulator:
I was trying to take notes during the lesson, but I missed a few things. At what point exactly does acceleration turn you green?
You may also be interested in this:
Jim’ll Fix It – Cub Scouts on a Rollercoaster
;-)
Rebecca – What remarkable advance in technology enabled your sunglasses to stay on?
I think it would have been an excellent demonstration of the fundamentals of mass and acceleration if Wendy had lost her grip on the camera :o) Aren’t you supposed to set down any loose objects before boarding?
I think you should have ridden the Cyclone first. Worked out a script, and then recorded the second ride. Then you would have known at what points you could talk, and at what point the g-forces would be too great to concentrate.
Too bad all those people were screaming in the background . . . oh, was that you? Fun video!
too bad the buzzkills commenting on the video itself couldn’t seem to enjoy the video for what it was
That coaster seemed quite painful actually. lol I couldn’t concentrate on the physics lesson because I was cringing the whole time. Ouch! lol
Cool! I haven’t ridden the Cyclone in over 30 years. It’s the same as I remember it. Did you get a Nathan’s hot dog and fries to complete the protocol?
Thanks for the memories.