‘Extreme Physics’ in Action!

21/11/2011

Students Tom Brooks and Robert Biggs queuing for Stealth

Staff and students from the Physics and Maths departments at the Sixth Form Haywards Heath Campus headed off one of the most popular field trips of the year, to Thorpe Park on a very sunny Thursday recently!

The visit which is both educational and fun, is used to support the student's coursework, and also enables them to better understand the theory taught in class by experiencing 'extreme' physics.

In addition to experiencing all the rides for themselves, the day also included an excellent talk by Thorpe Park rollercoaster engineer Chris Chedzey, who explained how carefully the rides must be designed and controlled using the maths and physics principles that the students are learning about in the classroom. He also described how the rides are engineered to 'trick' your brain by making you think you are going to crash into walls, before sweeping you away to safety!

After going on the rides with the students, Ian Cunliffe, Subject Leader for Physics at the College observed: "The students were able to experience first-hand the way gravitational potential and kinetic energy are interchanged throughout the ride, and how forces are applied to their bodies to maximise the adrenaline rush!"