Explore the Science of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Home

Have you always wanted to learn how roller coasters work? For Disney Mechanical Engineers, Angel and Josh, it was their curiosity at a young age in STEM-based subjects where they found their passion for roller coasters. Angel and Josh work behind-the-scenes at Disney and had the opportunity to put their math, science and engineering skills into action on one of Disney’s fastest coasters – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

You may have always wondered how the super stretch limo launches down the alleyway and into the gravity building where the coaster twists and turns. In just a matter of seconds, the car travels up to 60 mph, and Angel and Josh tell us about the science behind it all! Check out the video below for a lesson in magnets and how they are used to propel this extreme coaster to extreme speeds.

While so many families are virtually learning right now, we thought this was the perfect time to share an activity to use during your next at-home science class. Using the instructions below and a few materials, you can apply the lessons learned from Angel and Josh to create a model roller coaster launch system right at home.

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