1. Name__________________________
Roller Coaster Lab Report
Purpose:
1. To determine an effective and creative way to design a roller coaster in which a ball will make its
way to the end of the tubing track.
2. To calculate the speed, acceleration, momentum, and force of a ball at various points along the
track.
3. To determine potential energy and kinetic energy at various points along the track.
Data Given:
• Tube Length: 3.9 meters
• Ball mass: 0.002 kilograms
Data Rounding Tips:
• Time, Average Speed, Average Acceleration to the tenth: (0.0)
• Force and Momentum to the ten thousandth: (0.000)
Procedures
1. Read the lab report
2. Team Jobs
• Turn in to your teacher the sheet indicating who is team leader for which job
3. Formulas
• Fill in formulas
Average Speed
Average Acceleration
Force
Momentum
4. Materials
• List materials you think you may need in the materials section of the lab report
• Go back to this list any time you use a new material during the lab.

2. 5. Brainstorm
• Practice constructing the coaster with the tubing to determine your design
o The coaster should be unique with hills and/or loops.
o No straight drop coasters.
o The coaster can be taped anywhere in the room
o You will have one tube, one ball bearing , and one cup. (the cup will catch the ball at
the end)
o DO NOT WASTE the tape. If you do it will be taken from your group and you will
have to buy your own tape to complete the project.
o The coaster should be creative and themed.
o The ball should not get stuck anywhere in the coaster.
o Be careful not to “kink” the tubing- keep the path smooth.
o Your group will build, take down, and store the coaster everyday.
• Start to think of ways to advertise your roller coaster with slogans/logos/name of coaster
• Make a list of materials you will need to decorate your coaster and poster for presentation
6. Blueprint
• Develop a blueprint of your design on white computer paper. (done in pencil)
• The blueprint should include measurements relative to the background parts of the room-
reference points
o Someone who does not know your coaster should be able to re-create your coaster by
using the blue print.
• Get your blue print checked by your teacher
• Keep your blueprint in a group members hanging file so it is accessible everyday.
7. Hypothesis
If my roller coaster looks like (describe in words)
sketch of coaster
Then its speed with units will be ___________________________________.
Then its acceleration with units will be ______________________________.
Then its force with units will be ____________________________________.
Then its momentum with units will be ______________________________.

3. 8. Data Collection
• As the ball bearing rides the coaster, time it using a stopwatch.
Time with Label:
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Trial 4
Trial 5
Trial 6
Trial 7
Trial 8
Average Time with Label
9. Find Speed
Fill in procedures for finding speed:
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
Formula used Work done with Labels Speed with Label
10. Find Acceleration
Fill in procedures for finding acceleration:
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
Formula used Work done with Labels Acceleration with Label

4. 11. Find Force
Fill in procedures for finding force:
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
Formula used Work done with Labels Force with label
12. Find Momentum
Fill in procedures for finding momentum:
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
Formula used Work done with Labels Momentum with label
13. Find Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy
• Define Potential Energy
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• Define Kinetic Energy
• _______________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________

5. Sketch coaster and label Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy
14. Final Data Chart
Speed
Acceleration
Force
Momentum
15. Conclusion on the computer
Write a conclusion using the guide questions/statements below.
Use correct sentence formation, capitalization, and punctuation.
Use the heading below placed in the upper right hand corner:
Name
Period
Conclusion for the Roller Coaster
• Using the purposes of the lab (located at the start of the lab report), describe in general
what the lab was about.
• Describe what your roller coaster looked like.
• What data did you collect from your coaster?
• What were your hypotheses and were they correct?
• Why were your hypotheses correct or why were they not correct, please use your lab
data to back up your answers.
• What could have gone wrong in your lab?
• If you were to re-run this lab, what changes would you make?
16. Poster
• Use the roller coaster poster rubric to create a poster

6. 17. Presentation
• Present your coaster and poster to the class using the presenation rubric.