Perfect for the classroom or at home, Andrew Gatt’s paper roller coasters are not only fun, but they also teach so many lessons in engineering, construction, teamwork, trial and error, and more. In exploring physics alone, DIY roller coasters can start conversations about kinetic energy, potential energy, gravity, friction, velocity, and acceleration, to name just a few. Above, enjoy Gatt’s 2014 Ultimate Paper Roller Coaster:
This has got to be the best Paper Roller Coaster that I have ever built. I think it turned out even better than the “World’s Greatest Paper Roller Coaster” which I finished nearly four years ago. This one has a lot of new features, including multiple switches, a super-sized funnel, a mini funnel, a rotating arm, and some other features that I haven’t named yet.
Related lesson planning: Physics of Roller Coasters at teachengineering.org.
Related DIY: Gatt sells digital and paper roller coaster templates at his site PaperRollerCoasters.com, where he also showcases photos of student-made projects from around the globe.
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