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Complete Roller Coaster System

  • 3-car Roller Coaster
  • Quantitative Studies of Energy Conservation
  • Easy to Change Track Configurations

Roller Coaster Complete System

ME-9812

$83900

U.S. Educator Pricing

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The PASCO Roller Coaster Complete System makes it easy for students to set up any number of track configurations as well as get quantitative measurements.

Using the rigid support pegs and the white board support panels (use a dry erase pen to make notes or calculations right on the panels) the track can be setup quickly and easily and in a variety of manners.

Photogates can be added at many positions around the track to measure the low friction Mini Car's velocity.  Create a simple incline to measure constant acceleration, a traditional coaster for conservation of energy, a loop for centripetal acceleration or even a brachiochrone to show that the car following that path will take less time than the straight line path.  

Available separately are the Ballistic Pendulum Accessory and the Physical Pendulum Accessory which expand your Roller Coaster Complete System even further. 

How It Works

Roller Coaster tracks are constructed by securing flexible track on pegs in the three large support panels. Because the pegs are easily moved, runs on multiple track configurations can be tested and compared. You can even place two tracks side-by-side for a race! The plastic track comes in a roll and is easy to cut so you can make tracks of any length you need.

The Roller Coaster Complete System in action

Study Ballistic Pendulums with this accessory

The Roller Coaster's flexible track comes in a roll and can be cut to the length you need

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Features

  • Support Panels:  Have a variety of track configuration holes predrilled for easy student assembly.  Feature a dry erase surface so calculations can be performed at the point of interest on the track.
  • Mini Cars:  Feature low-friction ball bearings and ABS construction to withstand repeated impacts.  One red, one yellow and one green Mini Car included.  Each car includes a slot for a supplied photogate flag, cup/mass holder and cup.  The body of the car extends just far enough below the wheels to protect them should the car leave the track.
  • Ballast Mass:  Can be added to the mass tray of a Mini Car or hidden under a Mini Car to increase the energy without changing the car's appearance.
  • Flexible track:  Guides carts on their path, yet is flexible enough to form loops and hills, or can be rolled out flat on a table. Easily attaches to the support pegs using the twist-on track clips.  Long pegs allow two tracks side-by-side for comparison.
  • Probeware Compatible:  Threaded support pegs and Mini Car photogate flags allow photogates to be used at many positions around the track to measure velocity and acceleration.

Roller Coaster Applications:

The flexible nature of the Roller Coaster Complete System allows many important physics concepts to be demonstrated and explored.

  • Conservation of Energy: Release the Mini Car and measure its velocity and height at several points along the track.  Use these values to calculate total energy of the MIni Car.  Frictional losses are less than 5%.
  • Brachistochrone Path: Is the shortest path the quickest? Set up a straight line path and a brachistochrone (path of least time) and see!
  • Centripetal Acceleration: Use either the circular loop or clothoid loop to measure the maximum and minimum accelerations experienced by the Mini Car.
  • Projectile Motion/Conservation of Energy: Use the initial height of the Mini Car to determine its speed as it flies off the end of the track.  Using this speed and height above the ground when it leaves the track, predict where the Mini Car will land.
  • Inclined Plane: Demonstrate classic inclined plane situations by simply mounting a straight section of track to the support panels. Take advantage of the panels' dry erase surface to illustrate the vector components of forces, tension forces, normal forces, and more!

Three low-friction Mini Cars: one red, one yellow, and one green

Set up a brachistochrone with a piece of track and preset holes in a support panel

Teach Centripetal Acceleration

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