Physics teacher David Spurlock has his physics students wrapping up the semester by applying everything they have learned and incorporating it into one giant project. Students are building roller coasters using what they have studied about gravity, Newton’s Three laws of motion, acceleration and forces.

“The point of this project is to have your marble go down your roller coaster, around a loop and over two hills,” junior Luke Brown said. “It also has to be at least six feet long and the marble has to stay on the track all the way to the end. And we have to do it at least three times.”

The students brought supplies from home and hunted up more from teachers on campus and then worked together to create the most efficient roller coaster. 

“My roller coaster is going to be made out of a pool noodle and tape,” junior Maylene Caceres said. “My favorite part of this project was when I helped my teammates and did the best I could do.”

Different groups used different supplies. Brown’s group created their project out of Hot Wheel track.

“My favorite part of the project so far has been taping the Hot Wheels track to the board and playing around and seeing how fast we could get the marble to go and stay on the track,” Brown said.

Freshman Julia Fravel’s group is creating their roller coaster out of plastic tubing. She said working with her classmates was her favorite part of the project.

“I really enjoyed working with everybody,” Fravel said. “I liked learning everybody’s ideas about how we were going to do this project.”

Students are starting their roller coaster demonstrations today in class to show off what they’ve built and what they have learned. Senior Mason Ayles said he has enjoyed the project.

“My favorite part has been using ingenuity to figure out how to make an actual roller coaster that will support the ball,” senior Mason Ayles said. “I’m hoping to learn more about the intricacies of physics and velocity and momentum, specifically.”