People riding an upside-down rollercoaster

The Jersey Devil in Jackson Township, New Jersey

Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

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  CLASSIFYING ANGLES

 

Here Come the Coasters!

Check out new roller coasters opening to thrill seekers this year

May/June 2021
By Jeanette Ferrara

Many people look forward to a return to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic. Some have their sights set on hitting the road this year for amusement park thrills. Many parks delayed the opening of new rides until 2021. Because of safety risks, many theme parks were closed for long periods of time. 

But the minds behind each of these new and exciting rides have not taken a break! The roller coaster at Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) in Idaho have been working . The design company has three coasters opening this year in parks around the United States. 

Record Roller Coasters
Watch a video about roller coasters.

“We’re always looking to with new ideas,” says Jake Kilcup, one of RMC’s designers. But the most fun part of creating coasters? “Our team always gets to test ride them first!” he says.

Large red rollercoaster

Courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park

Stunt Pilot
Athol, Idaho

People working on a rollercoaster

Courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park

Once completed,Stunt Pilot will be 106 feet tall.

The Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, sits on the site of an old . So to create a new ride, RMC engineers drew inspiration from the park’s past. The result: a roller coaster named Stunt Pilot!

Actual stunt pilots don’t just fly planes, they perform exciting and challenging for an audience. RMC wanted riders of the new coaster to feel like they are stunt pilots in the of their own planes. 

The ride climbs 106 feet before dropping and zooming 52 miles per hour (mph). Riders face loops, sharp turns, and even a !

Lines and Angles
Watch a math video about the different types of lines and angles.
Bird's eye view of a large orange rollercoaster

Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

The Jersey Devil dives at a top speed of 58 miles per hour.

Jersey Devil
Jackson Township, New Jersey

As of press time, the Jersey Devil is expected to be open at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey this year. It’s named after a creature that supposedly roams the pine forests of southern New Jersey.

The coaster is on track to be the tallest single-rail coaster in the world. The Jersey Devil drops riders from a 13-story height into a nearly 60 mph fall.

Most roller coasters have two-rail tracks, explains Garcia. The Jersey Devil has only one. This makes the coaster easier to and in a park. The coaster will also have two inversions, meaning riders go upside down twice!

Rollercoaster

Courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Iron Gwazi reaches a speed of 76 miles per hour.

Iron Gwazi
Tampa Bay, Florida

“People are really going to enjoy Iron Gwazi,” says Kilcup. “It’s tall, fast, and has a few elements you won’t see coming.” The brand-new, crocodile-themed ride at the Busch Gardens park in Tampa Bay, Florida, is 206 feet high. It sports steep drops and hits a max speed of 76 miles per hour. 

Iron Gwazi is a hybrid roller coaster, meaning its construction is a combination of steel and wood. The designers at RMC chose to reuse the structure of the original wooden Gwazi coaster they had been asked to replace.

Angles in Action
Play a cool math game about creating different kinds of angles.

MATH TALK

What kinds of angles make for a thrilling roller coaster ride?

Classifying Angles

What to Do

A ray is a straight line with only 1 endpoint. When 2 rays share an endpoint, they intersect to form an angle. We measure angles in degrees (°). We classify angles into 4 types based on their measurements.

Images of the four different types of angles

Example

What type of angle is marked in the picture below? 

Illustration of a rollercoaster and the degree of angles

This angle measures about 20°, which we can confirm using a protractor. This is less than 90°.

So this is an acute angle.

Unit to measure angles and measurement reads 20 degrees

Now You Try It

RMC engineer Amy Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Stunt Pilot. What kind of is angle A? 

What kind of angle is angle B? 

Labeled right angle


A. Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing the Jersey Devil. These supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees. What is the measurement of angle A?

B. What kind of angle is it? 

Two labeled angles


Garcia sketched this drawing below while designing Iron Gwazi. angle A. 

Classify angle B.

Which drop is steeper?

Two obtuse angles


Continue the Learning Journey

  • Play the game “Angles in Action” (above) to practice working with angles.
  • Rewatch the video “Record Roller Coasters” (above). Then design the ultimate roller coaster! Use the design sketches from the article as inspiration for the drops, twists, and turns of your roller coaster ride. Include at least 2 acute angles and 2 obtuse angles in your roller coaster design and label them. If you have a , you can measure your angles too!
  • Gather at least 2 long, thin objects, like pencils, straws, or toothpicks. On a flat surface, use your objects to create the 4 different types of angles you learned about: acute, right, obtuse, and straight.
Geometry
Angles
classify

Assign a particular class or category based on shared qualities
airfield

An area of land set aside for the takeoff, landing, and maintenance of aircraft, such as planes or helicopters
engineers

People who often design, build, or work with engines or machines
ray

A straight line that has only one endpoint
manufacture

To make on a large scale using machinery
endpoint

A point that marks the end of a ray or one of the ends of a line segment
nonstop

Done without stopping for a break
protractor

A math tool used to measure angles
install

Place in position for people to use
legendary

Described in traditional stories that are often based in myth, such as the Loch Ness monster
corkscrew

A type of roller coaster track that twists in a spiral motion
angle

Formed when two rays meet at a common endpoint. There are three main types of angles: acute (less than 90 degrees), right (90 degrees), and obtuse (greater than 90 degrees).
push the envelope

Come close to or go beyond the limits of what is possible
maneuvers

Movements or series of moves that require skill and care
cockpit

The area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which the pilot controls the aircraft

Teaching Resources
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