Amusement Park Physics

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Amusement Park Physics

• Presented by Vlad Pasek Bryan Clintberg

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Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall

• Galaxyland is a total indoor amusement park.
• Originally constructed in 1983 under the name
  Fantasyland.
• Total of 25 rides, 7 of which are classified as
  advanced.
• When booking a school group, day passes for
  students are 8, with several free adult
  chaperone passes included.

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History of Amusement Park Physics

• Started off independent of WEM, only purchased
  regular group guest passes.
• WEM saw possibility to promote themselves to
  schools.
• Formed a partnership with us to develop student
  lab booklets and supporting materials for school
  groups.

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Student Lab Booklets

• Students can work in Galaxyland for a half or
  full day, depending on the depth of coverage.
• During our trips we spend the morning at the
  mall.
• Students can expect to use about 30 - 45 minutes
  of this time actually filling out and working on
  lab booklet.

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Mindbender Rollercoaster

• Worlds largest indoor triple loop rollercoaster.
• Questions involve
• qualitative observations of effect on weight at
  various points in ride
• calculations of energies at various points, work,
  and power

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Merry Go Round

• Slow motion of ride allows for careful
  measurement of data.
• Appeals to the more timid students.
• Questions involve
• calculations of circular motion and centripetal
  acceleration and forces

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Swing of the Century

• Popular ride with the students.
• Questions involve
• qualitative descriptions of various stages of the
  ride
• calculations of circular motion, centripetal
  forces, and equilibrium.

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Flying Galleon

• Giant swinging ship.
• Although it is not a perfect pendulum, we treat
  it as such for our calculations.
• Questions include
• calculation of period of ship as a pendulum
• comparison to actual period of ship

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Bumper Cars

• Many students take a break by going over to this
  ride.
• Questions involve
• qualitative descriptions of various types of
  collisions

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Space Shot

• One of the newest rides at Galaxyland (it
  replaced the Drop of Doom).
• Questions involve
• calculations of various forces on riders,
  including net forces.

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What to Expect on Field Trip

• Book about 2 months in advance with WEM
• Call 780-444-5321
• Pay by credit card over the phone for day passes.
  
• Make sure to ask how many free chaperone passes
  you will get!
• You will be told what entrance your bus should
  drop you off at (usually south entrance).

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• Ticket stubs (worth one day pass) will be
  available from Guest Services in Galaxyland.
• These may be picked up about 24 hours ahead of
  time, or on arrival.
• Students take these tickets to any of the kiosks
  to get their day passes.
• The tickets are printed with an expiry date
  (that day), so students can not keep them for
  another visit.

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• We allow students to go to the food court
  attached to Galaxyland, but nowhere else.
• One of us usually waits in the food court to
  answer student questions, while the other roams
  Galaxyland.
• Have a prearranged time and place for the
  students to meet to leave.
• Expect about a 15 minute wait as everyone is
  rounded up.