Museum of Science and Industry

Build a Roller Coaster

Learn about energy as you send a marble through a roller coaster that you design.

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Lesson at a glance

Students work in small groups to build a roller coaster with at least one loop and one jump, demonstrating how potential energy transforms into kinetic energy. This activity requires a lot of space – students will be taping the tubing to the walls and other objects, so be sure to identify what areas are off limits.

Students Will Know:
Potential energy transforms into kinetic energy
An object has gravitational potential energy due to its position

Students Will Be Able To:
Define potential and kinetic energy
Observe the relationship of height to potential energy and the resulting kinetic energy

Illinois Learning Standards

Late Elementary
State Goal 11: B.2a; B.2c
State Goal 12: D.2b

Extension

Have students find the velocity of the marble. Velocity = distance travel / time. Have students measure the length of the track in centimeters. Using a stopwatch, record the time it takes a marble to complete the run in seconds. So v = cm / sec.