Roller Coasters

Roller Coasters
By: Jackie C.
Wha t was the f irs t roller coas ter a nd where was it
loca ted?
The first roller coaster was The Scenic Railway. It was located in
the West End Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. It first opened in
1883.
Above: Scenic Railway
http://www.rcdb.com/installationresult.htm?page=58&column=1,10,
30,3,26,4,5,9,11,12,13,14&order=-5,1&status=10
This site has roller coaster information and newsletters with
pictures and relating articles.
Who was one of the mos t famous roller coas ter
designers?
John A. Miller was born in Homewood, Illinois in 1874. In 1920 John
built 15 roller coasters throughout the U.S. John died in 1964 at
the time he was in Houston, Texas planning a roller coaster for
the city.
Above: John A. Miller
http://home.nyc.rr.com/johnmiller/
This site is all about John A. Miller and all of his accomplishments.
There are many links that lead to even more information about
John A. Miller.
Wha t is the fas tes t roller coaster in the world?
The fastest roller coaster in the world is the Kingda Ka. It is a
steel sit-down roller coaster and goes up to 128 mph. It is located
in Jackson, New Jersey in Six Flags Great Adventure.
Above: Kingda Ka
Below: Riders on the fastest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka
http://www.rcdb.com/rhr.htm
The site has information about roller coasters and record holders.
When was the first roller coaster invented?
The first roller coaster was opened in 1784 in St. Petersburg,
Russia. The Russians got the idea from giant ice sleds from the
mountains. The idea then got to Paris, where a wheeled coaster
attraction was opened in 1804.
http://www.themedattraction.com/coaster.htm
The site was very information and tells a summarized history of
roller coasters. Even though it is summarized it is still detailed and
gives great and useful information.
How do roller coasters work?
A roller coaster has no engine. The car is pulled to the top
of the first hill at the beginning of the ride, but after that the
coaster must complete the ride on its own. You aren't being
propelled around the track by a motor or pulled by a hitch. The
conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what drives the
roller coaster, and all of the kinetic energy you need for the ride
is present once the coaster descends the first hill.
Once you're underway, different types of wheels help keep the
ride smooth. Running wheels guide the coaster on the track.
Friction wheels control lateral motion (movement to either side of
the track). A final set of wheels keeps the coaster on the track
even if it's inverted. Compressed air brakes stop the car as the
ride ends.
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster.html
This site is a great site for kids. It makes learning about roller
coasters fun. It also has a game that allows you to design your
own roller coaster!
How many roller coas ters are in the world?
There are over 3572 roller coasters throughout the world. 1809 of
them are located in the U.S.A.
http://www.rcdb.com/installationresult.htm?coastername=&parkna
me=&type=&status=&design=&category=&contact=&location=0&=0&
column=1%2C10%2C30%2C3%2C26%2C4%2C5&order=1%2C2&search
=Search
This site has roller coaster information and newsletters with
pictures and relating articles. It also tells you record holders and
has a census.
http://www.funderstanding.com/k12/coaster/
Click a bove to play a roller coa ster game!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4619563274394352645&q=roller+coasters
Click a bove to wa tch a f unny roller coaster mov ie!