St George Students Take on the Roller Coaster Challenge!

July 01 2025 | Central South England | Views: 229

St George Catholic College in Southampton is a mixed, non-selective secondary school for students aged 11–16, with around 1,000 pupils. The school places a strong emphasis on academic achievement, personal development, and community values.

The school was delighted to be supported by The STEM Hub as part of Engineering UK’s Big Bang at Schools programme, which aims to inspire young people aged 11–14 to explore the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, and maths.

On 1 July, around 200 Year 9 students were given a live talk by Kyla from the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Social Sciences at Canterbury Christ Church University about the physics of roller coasters, including energy consumption, forces and motion, and momentum and control. The talk was designed to help students plan, design, and build their own roller coasters over a two-week period.

In this exciting challenge, students will explore the science behind roller coasters before putting their knowledge to the test. Working in teams, they will design, build, and refine a roller coaster using identical materials: a card base, cardboard tubes and sheets. The aim is to keep a marble moving for as long as possible. Marks will be awarded for teamwork, creativity, design complexity, and duration, making it a fun and competitive way to apply science in action.

Here’s what some of the students had to say about the live talk:

“I enjoyed the presentation, particularly the videos, and it has helped me with the building of my roller coaster.”
“This project is making me think that science is fun and that it is more than just being in a lab.”
“The video was very educational about how roller coasters worked. I thought they were powered by motors.”
“I think the project is fun. A good way to encourage students into Science.”
“Gives girls the opportunity to become interested in this sort of thing.”

The students will present their designs at the end of term, and prizes will be awarded to those that meet the brief in all areas.

Work in Progress Images supplied by St George Catholic College