By Anton Mikolowsi ’17 | Future Supervising Copy Editor

On May. 25, the physics classes of Grosse Pointe South High School will be attending a field trip to the Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, in order to stimulate their knowledge of physics and prepare for a 3D recreation project of the park’s famous roller coasters, according to physics teacher, Scott Brunner.

The trip to Cedar Point is supposed to allow students to engage the skills they have been learning in class in an entertaining and modern way.

“Amusement rides are all about physics,” Brunner said, “(And) the Cedar Point trip is a great opportunity to apply the physics concepts learned throughout the year in an exciting setting.”

Brunner has said that the trip has always been a positive experience for his students, and current honors physics student, Nina Cinnamond ’17, is excited for it.

“I am so excited,” Cinnamond said, “I love roller coasters and the park.”

Cinnamond, along with any other students attending the trip, had to meet a code of prerequisites before being allowed on the trip.

In order for students to be eligible for the trip, they must have had a good attendance throughout the year and a good enough grade standing in their physics class.

“It’s fair,” Cinnamond said, “If you slack when you should be working or coming to class, you really do not deserve the trip.”

The students staying behind at South will be working in correspondence with the students at the park, analyzing their data as it comes in.

During the trip, in order to find that data for their upcoming project, students will be assigned to record their roller coasters live, using their phones with accelerometer data apps, as well as documentation using rides and camera images and videos.

“They will be sending the data back to group members not on the trip, who will be in class researching the rides and processing data. The day after the trip, groups will use the accelerometer and camera data to create a 3D virtual roller coaster.”

The roller coaster recreation will be done in an iOS app that has varying factors, such as acceleration, force, and speeds, that can be measured with data and made into acting physical models, according to Brunner.

“The group project is a Google Doc lab write-up including background, research, theory, data, calculations, images, video, and a virtual ride of the 3D roller coaster they created,” Brunner said, “By the end, we will have a 3D version of Cedar Point with accurate physics.”

Both Brunner and Cinnamond are excited for the trip, so long as all goes according to plan.

“The trip challenges and engages students,” Brunner said, “It is always a positive experience. Except for when the power goes out. That happened last year.”