It's summertime and we're taking a virtual trip to the amusement park. But on this trip we're combing fun and thrills with science, as we take a look at the physics behind your favorite theme park rides.
This ThinkQuest 2000 entry was created by a team of middle-school students from Virginia Beach.
The color scheme here is a bit hard to read, but if you persevere, you'll be rewarded with six science experiments to perform on amusement park rides, and two experiments for your local playground.
This Java-based roller coaster simulation lets you design a ride to "achieve maximum thrills and chills without crashing or flying off the track (unless that's how you like your coaster to work!)" You can vary the height of the hills, the size of the loop
Internet Fairground is another ThinkQuest entry (a 2000 silver-medal winner) created by three geographically disperse high-school students.
Study the physics of falling, floating, and turning with animated lessons at my pick-of-the-day site from the Japan Virtual Science Center.