1. Zip Line Physics A Challenge Based Design Unit
Curt Blimline
Williamsburg High School
CEEMS is funded by the National Science Foundation, grant #

2. Big Idea Human Safety While transporting humans and cargo
During relaxation and enjoyment experiences

3. What factors contribute to the safety and enjoyment of zip line rides?
Essential Question
What factors contribute to the safety and enjoyment of zip line rides?

4. The Challenge
Design a zip ride trolley system with a braking mechanism that delivers a safe and smooth ride on a test zip line.

5. Guiding Questions
1. What are the components of a zip line system? 2. What are zip lines used for? 3. What design characteristics contribute to the smoothness of the ride? 4. How do you brake a zip line trolley?

6. Guiding Questions
5. How do you determine the safety of your design? 6. What forces exist in zip lines? 7. How does friction affect the design of a zip line?

7. ACS A (real world Application) – Safe and healthy physical activities
C (career connections) – Careers affected include mechanical, structural, and materials engineering
S (societal impact) – Safe zip lines creates healthy exercise alternatives as well as effective cargo transportation for remotely accessible areas

8. Standards ONLS Air Resistance and Drag Friction
Forces in two dimensions
Adding vector forces
Motion down inclines

9. Standards
NGSS
HS-PS Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
HS-ETS Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
HS-ETS Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

10. Academic Content
Lesson 1 – Zip Line Basics – the fundamental physics concepts in zip lines
Activity 1 – Zip and Deliver – an introduction to engineering design through an activity on zip line design
Activity 2 – Zoom Zoom – investigating the forces experienced on zip lines

11. Academic Content
Lesson 2 – Zip Line Design Project –zip line trolley system design
Activity 3 – Zip Stop – designing a rating system for zip line braking mechanisms
Activity 4 – Zip Ride – designing a safe zip line trolley system with a braking mechanism

12. Zip Line Design Project
Engineering Design

13. Vector Resolution in Physics
Addition of Vectors (1+2+3)
Vector
magnitude
angle
x-component
y-component
Vector 1
Vector 2
Vector 3
Resultant

14. MatLab Code Automates this process Graphs the individual vectors
Graphs the individual vectors as if they were graphed individually (head to tail method) as well as the resultant vector

15. MatLab Graphs

16. MatLab Command Window Results

17. Resources