4 replies to this topic

[LaMbChOpZ]

Well, as you all know, I have no coasters on SSC, but that will all change, starting in exactly one week.

Not if I've said this enough, I'm in PJAS, Pennsylvania Jr Academy of Science. PJAS is a school "Club" and I've been in it since I was in 7th grade, which is when you can enter. This is going to be my 3rd year, so I do know what I'm doing for this project, and it all has to be in metric. (sorry Americans others who don't use Metric, I kinda don't like it either) To be able to present, you must first create your own hypothesis, then research it, create a procedure, graph data, and then present infront of other presenters in your area (for me, Physics) and the judges are all experts/ workers in your area of presentation.

Well Since December, I've actually been building my project, and it's almost done. Although its done, there's no need to critique it (and if there is, it will be ignored and possibly deleted) because the camera makes it worse than it is. This is just supposed to be a post about what I've been up to, and if you'd like, in a week or so, when all my data is formulated and recorded, I can email you the presentation if you want to see my results before my big presentation on FEB 27. If I get a perfect score in the areas of judging, or i get a first Place(Like a Gold medal in olympics, everyone can possibly earn first place), I move on to States hosted at Penn State University in May.

Not only are you guys the one's knowing about this, but some of the administration (Principal, Asst. Principal) at my school are highly interested in this, so they as well will be seeing these results and how I do at the meet in Feb.

My project was a Test of Loop designs for Roller Coasters. I built a partial lift hill to keep my data un-corrupted. I've also created a woodie style lift hill, and drop. Lift hill is at a 45* incline, and my drop is around 55-60* decline. My data, incase you don't want to look at the project, tested 3 types of loops: A clothoid (teardrop), a Circular loop, and a Hybrid-Mix of the two other loops. Although the data isn't complete, and my testing isn't doen either, I still though it would be cool for you guys to take a look.

Before we get the pictures, I do know that my drop is very bad, it was made pretty quickly so testing could go underway. The pictures are just my set-up and the loops, and again, If you would like the project, I can email it to you, but it can only be sent in PowerPoint, or Open Office, sorry.

I'm noticing my pics arent coming up, so they will be uploaded shortly, sorry.

[~stεεlspectrum~]

Wow, long post...your project sounds very interesting though. My school doesn't have a science fair unfortunately, but if it did I would build something with Knex coasters like this each time. Can't wait for pictures!

[LaMbChOpZ]

yeah our school's thing is like a Science fair, but you have to do an oral presentation with transparencies, completely memorized speech, and it can get super tough. The Judges can ask as questions for up to 5 minutes, and if you do good on your presentation, but fail to answer their questions, it can screw your score up a TON. Just a bit of notice, I usually won't build coasters towards the end of Feb and May, due to the meets.

I had a few members ask me why I havent been building coasters, and now they know.

And thanks to my stupid school laptop, which has all my pictures, supposedly is "Corrupted" so it might be a day or two. If you really want to see one of the loops, I think i started a tutorial for one of the clothoid loop I made for this, but it's in the working.

[BGTKing]

yeah our school's thing is like a Science fair, but you have to do an oral presentation with transparencies, completely memorized speech, and it can get super tough. The Judges can ask as questions for up to 5 minutes, and if you do good on your presentation, but fail to answer their questions, it can screw your score up a TON. Just a bit of notice, I usually won't build coasters towards the end of Feb and May, due to the meets.

That's better practice for college though.

[LaMbChOpZ]

I bet so. (Not like a little High School Freshman would know)


Although it's not college, my school has an Engineering Class and for the final project/grade, other than Finals, which were today for me, and for it you have to create a K'nex Coaster. Some of them were really embarrassing to see at Celebration of the Arts-(A display of the school's students art works that lasts a week long) I'm taking that class when I'm a soph or a junior, but I can't switch my schedule out now because we're doing finals, and it would cause too much bs for our guidance councelor.