Huntington students learn physics of fun

Lauren Vane

Riding roller coasters and eating funnel cake certainly beats math

class. On Thursday, students from high schools around Huntington

Beach got to do just that: they traded in their textbooks for

amusement park passes and spent a day at Knott’s Berry Farm.

But their teachers had nothing to worry about. The students

weren’t playing hooky -- they were actually getting a lesson in

physics by participating in Knott’s Berry Farm’s seventh annual

Physics Day. Area high school students were invited to spend a day at

Knott’s learning about the physics behind those terrifying

super-coasters.

“It gives them a hands-on experience,” said Chris Long a physics

teacher at Marina High School. “The next time they come to an

amusement park, it’s probably changed from now on.”

The day was filled with activities that tested the students’

knowledge of physics and showed them that there’s much more to roller

coasters than screaming or losing their lunch.

“I enjoy the mathematical sense of it. I enjoy learning about the

centrifugal force of the rides,” said Joanna Syiek, a student at

Huntington Beach High School.

The park was crawling with high school students who were busy

calculating the G-force of the rides and estimating the angles on

topsy-turvy roller coasters. To complete their assignments, students

braved the heights and strapped on a vest containing an accelerometer

to measure the G-force of the ride.

Another activity, the paper tower building contest, had students

testing their command of physics while competing against each other.

Each group of students was given one 8 1/2-by-11-inch piece of paper, a little bit of tape and some scissors to find out who could

build the tallest free-standing paper tower in 30 minutes.

Three students from Marina High School sat crossed legged on the

floor, staring intently at their leaning paper tower and trying to

figure out how to make it stand.

“It’s better than school,” said Jasmine Higgins, 17, a student at Marina High School.

Long said that Marina has participated in Knotts’ Physics Day for

several years and it is always a popular event for students. Some

students sign up to take physics just so they can spend the day at

Knott’s Berry Farm, Long said.