As part of the Year 4 science unit named Fast Forces, we were lucky enough to spend last Tuesday at Dreamworld to investigate and experience forces in real world situations.
We were given tours of 3 of the rides by engineers and ride operators, who helped us observe, identify and record which forces were in action and how the rides used things like gravity and magnetism to make them work and be safe. We even got to see the operating panel, magnets and pistons behind the Giant Drop!
We recorded many of our experiences and observations in our booklet on the day and we are now using this knowledge to design our own rollercoasters or amusement park rides,
making sure we make it both exciting and safe (and showing our teachers that we can identify forces and their directions).
When we rode the Madagascar roller coaster, many of us loved seeing and feeling the boosters
push us up to get started, thenthe motors continue to pull us up and up and up… and then gravity pulling down, down and around with momentum; and again, the motors took us up the tracks,
with gravity then pulling us down; until the magnetic brakes suddenly pulled us to a stop!
When we rode the rides (and even the train), we were able to see and feel the advantages of friction or lack of friction. We even got to ask all the helpful ride operators how each ride worked, so that we could spot the parts.
We are having a lot of fun investigating forces with our classes at the excursion and in the classrooms.