back Back to top

Toilet Paper Tube Roller Coaster Challenge

Details

Space: 
inside
Key Terms: 
Design
prototyping
physics
force
speed
acceleration
and measurement.
Materials: 
cardboard box
string
popsicle sticks
and/ or straws.

Lesson Overview

Teacher Overview:

Summary: Design and create a marble run, using the most tubes, within a maximum square box of 24”x24”x24”.

 

Description:  The challenge is to see if you can design and create a roller coaster out of toilet paper tubes and/ or paper towel tubes where a marble will glide down the track within a 24”x24”x24” space.

Check out the resource, “How Roller Coasters Work” to begin the process and learn what forces are at play to keep the marble on its track.  After you have learned the basics about how roller coasters work, jump on the Internet and research different roller coaster designs and begin designing and prototyping your ultimate roller coaster.  Your prototype must use the materials listed, but at the same time your roller coaster doesn’t have to look like an enclosed water slide - cut those tubes and be creative! The goal is to have a marble glide down your roller coaster at flying speed keeping and staying on the track until the ride has come to a complete stop.

Student Summary: 

Summary: Design and create a marble run, using the most tubes, within a maximum square box of 24”x24”x24”.

 

Description:  The challenge is to see if you can design and create a roller coaster out of toilet paper tubes and/ or paper towel tubes where a marble will glide down the track within a 24”x24”x24” space.

Check out the resource, “How Roller Coasters Work” to begin the process and learn what forces are at play to keep the marble on its track.  After you have learned the basics about how roller coasters work, jump on the Internet and research different roller coaster designs and begin designing and prototyping your ultimate roller coaster.  Your prototype must use the materials listed, but at the same time your roller coaster doesn’t have to look like an enclosed water slide - cut those tubes and be creative! The goal is to have a marble glide down your roller coaster at flying speed keeping and staying on the track until the ride has come to a complete stop.

Lesson Phases

Plan

Description: 
Capture video of the plan and of your materials.

Build

Description: 
Capture video of you building your roller coaster.

Iterate

Description: 
Capture video of a mistake or problem that you ran into.

Final Product

Description: 
Capture your roller coaster marble run in action.

Comments