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Engineering activity

Roller Coaster Physics

Build a marble ramp roller coaster using pool noodles or cardboard tubes. Make the marble go fast and slow on different hills!

BuildingAbout 30 minutesScreen-freeParent help expected

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

Build a marble ramp roller coaster using pool noodles or cardboard tubes. Make the marble go fast and slow on different hills!

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise (or use cardboard tubes cut in half) to make tracks.
  2. Tape one end high up on a chair or table. Let the other end touch the floor.
  3. Drop a marble at the top. Watch it roll down!
  4. Add a second hill by taping the track up to a lower chair. Does the marble make it over?
  5. If the marble stops, make the first hill higher. Try again!
  6. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Observe that a marble needs to start high to make it over hills
  • Discover that higher starting points mean faster speeds
  • Practice building ramps at different angles

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Build a roller coaster with at least 2 hills using foam tube track. Make the marble complete the full course without stopping!

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Set up foam tube (pool noodle halves) or cardboard track from a high point.
  2. Create at least 2 hills. The first hill must be the tallest!
  3. Add a curve or turn in the track. Tape the sides up so the marble doesn't fly off.
  4. Test with a marble. Does it complete the whole course?
  5. If the marble stops on a hill, what can you change? Lower that hill or raise the starting point.
  6. Decorate your roller coaster and name it!
  7. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Build a multi-hill track where each hill must be shorter than the previous one
  • Understand that a marble uses energy going up hills and gains it going down
  • Solve problems when the marble fails to complete the track

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Engineer a roller coaster with hills, loops, and curves. Measure marble speed at different points and discover the relationship between height and speed.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Build a roller coaster with at least: 2 hills, 1 loop, and 1 banked curve.
  2. The loop must be small enough for the marble to make it around without falling.
  3. Measure marble speed at 3 points: bottom of first hill, bottom of second hill, and after the loop.
  4. Speed measurement: time how long the marble takes to cross a 12-inch marked section.
  5. Record all times. Calculate speed: 12 inches / time in seconds.
  6. Make a diagram showing the height and speed at each measurement point. What pattern do you notice?
  7. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Build track features that require energy management (loops, hills, curves)
  • Measure and calculate marble speed at different track positions
  • Discover the relationship between height (potential energy) and speed (kinetic energy)

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Design a roller coaster applying conservation of energy. Calculate theoretical speeds at each point and compare to measured values. Analyze energy losses from friction.

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Research potential energy (PE = mgh) and kinetic energy (KE = 0.5mv^2). At any point, PE + KE should equal starting PE (minus friction losses).
  2. Design a coaster with at least: 3 hills, 1 loop, and 1 corkscrew or banked turn.
  3. Measure the height at each hill top and bottom. Calculate theoretical speed at each bottom: v = sqrt(2gh).
  4. Build and test. Measure actual speed at each point using the timed-distance method.
  5. Compare theoretical vs actual speed. The difference is energy lost to friction.
  6. Calculate friction loss percentage at each point: (theoretical speed - actual speed) / theoretical speed x 100.
  7. Write a report on conservation of energy in your roller coaster, including where the most energy is lost and why.
  8. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Apply conservation of energy equations to predict marble speeds at different heights
  • Measure actual speeds and calculate friction losses as a percentage of total energy
  • Analyze where and why energy losses occur in a mechanical system

Safety and evidence note

Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.

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