Getting "Loopy" with Physics

Year 6 have been exploring the science of theme park rides through practical investigations and activities. This week, they explored gravity, friction and centripetal force. They were challenged to make a working 'loop-the-loop' for a marble, which was definitely harder than it looked. To find out if the marble truly went round the loop, rather than falling off, we used slow-motion video to capture each attempt, then made adjustments (click here to watch). We noticed that even one slight adjustment to the angle or size of the loop made a huge difference to whether it worked. It was a lot of fun exploring physics in action!