Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My friends and i need to buld a rollar coaster for out ap physics class. We sorta know what we want it to look like, but we cant figure out what would be good for making the track. so far weve tried wire and now pipe insulation, but it's now working right. we went to home depot twice today to look for stuff, do you have any suggestions for where to go or what to buy for it?

What specifications does your roller coaster have? For instance, does it have to do loops, corkscrews, etc? I have seen some interesting things done with pipe insulation, but since this doesn't seem to have worked for you, I would reccomend trying to get thin sheet metal and suspending it between two pices of heavy wire. This would give you a smooth surface with sides of varaible heights, but until; I know more about the specifications of your desgins, I cannot geive you more specific advice.

It has to be in an area of 75 cm x 75cm x 1 meter. it should have loops, it also has to be as long as possible.

To Whom It May Concern:

Have you considered obtaining some flexible plastic sheeting and suspending it between two wires? This would form a track that the "car" could go down. The wire would need to be strong, but flexible. I would reccomend 30-40 gauge wire.

You could also try taking the middle of a paper towel roll and halve it, and then line the middle with some sort of material (plastic, duct tape, aluminum foil) that would cover the transition from 1 roll to another.

Of course, all of these will need supports. I would reccomend using wooden dowels to support the track.

If you have more questions just ask!

Good Luck!