South Middle School News

The group of Micah Light, Jacob Mikesell, Tess McClure, and Kassie Cline work on their roller coaster. Sixth grade students recently completed a unit that dealt with energy and force. The amusement park rides are a way to show off that they have learned. The roller coaster, for example, must have enough potential energy at the top of the first hill to over come the friction and wind resistance and still have enough kinetic energy to reach the end of the track. Knowledge of mass vs volume (density) also plays a roll in selecting materials better suited to provide enough energy to reach the end of the track.