Kalama, Asa

What scientific principle keeps coming up and up when designing Disney's theme park attractions? Trajectory! The Imagineers demonstrate how forces and motion play a leading role in creating rides like California Adventure's California Screamin' and Toy Story Midway Mania. Learn the definitions of projectile and Trajectory, see how Newton's First Law of Motion relates to these principles, and how to apply the physics of motion to predict and control the trajectory of a projectile.

"What is the force that puts the thrill in thrill rides? Gravity, of course! One of the biggest challenges for Imagineers in designing theme park attractions, like Disney's Rockin' Roller Coaster and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is figuring out the best way to work with-and sometimes against-gravity's constant 1G force. Learn to define gravity and explain the relationship between gravity, mass, and distance. Apply an understanding of forces to explain the feeling of weightlessness on a rollercoaster ride"--Container.

"How do the Imagineers make elephants fly? Actually, it's simple machines, that is! Here, the Imagineers give a new look at how levers and pulleys were utilized to create attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Soarin' Over California. See how levers and pulleys make work easier by either multiplying or redirecting the effort we put into them. Identify the two forces involved in using a machine and learn to calculate mechanical advantage, given effort and resistance"--Container.