Coaster Dynamics Help: The Coaster Lab



Coaster Dynamics
Help about:

The Coaster Lab:   Classroom Resources

The
Coaster Lab is a set of companion materials to Coaster Dynamics that help teach basic concepts in science and physics using your computer as a virtual laboratory for conducting experiments.

There are 3 components to the
Coaster Lab Classroom Resources:   Design Hints, Coaster Lab Lessons, and the Coaster Dynamics Physics Primer.

Design Hints

During the ride simulation for your roller coaster track, Coaster Dynamics will stop and provide Design Hints whenever a problem occurs. This will happen if:
  • the instantaneous G force exceeds the limit of 5 G's,
  • the car begins to go backwards, or
  • the speed at the end of the track is greater than 5 m/s (11 mph).
When stopped, you can simply try changing the track, as suggested, or you can select the "Tell Me More" option -- which will provide further information allowing you to calculate a solution to the problem.

After making your changes to the track, simply begin the ride again to test your modifications.

If you want to turn the
Design Hints off, click on the "Options" button in the Coaster Dynamics Main Menu, and click "Off" next to "Track Design Hints".

Coaster Lab Lessons

The Coaster Lab Lessons are classroom exercises which utilize Coaster Dynamics as a virtual physics laboratory. Each lesson is designed to fit into a typical 50-minute classroom format, and cover basic topics in physics needed to understand how roller coasters work. The lessons are presented in an order typically taught in a first-semester Introductory Physics course.

To see the
Coaster Lab Lessons, select the "Coaster Lab Lessons" button from the "Coaster Lab" option window.

Answers to the
Coaster Lab Lessons are available to registered users of Coaster Dynamics. The answer sets can be viewed by selecting the "Coaster Lab Answers" button. To access the answers, you will need to enter a Software License Password -- which can be obtained by paying a Software License Fee and becoming a registered Coaster Dynamics user. Please note that Coaster Dynamics is a shareware product. With the exception of the Coaster Lab Answers, you can freely use Coaster Dynamics for evaluation purposes.

To print a hardcopy of the
Coaster Lab Lessons, use the print feature of your web browser.

Coaster Dynamics Physics Primer

The Coaster Dynamics Physics Primer is a summary guide to the physics of roller coasters. It covers the fundamental topics in Newtonian Mechanics required to understand and analyze roller coaster motion. It is an excellent supplemental resource which can be used in conjunction with a comprehensive physics textbook.

To see the
Coaster Dynamics Physics Primer, select the "Physics Primer" button from the "Coaster Lab" option window.

To print a hardcopy of the
Coaster Dynamics Physics Primer, use the print feature of your web browser.