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Poppy Towers - a Zierer Familien Frei Fall Turm

Where do you feel heavier than normal and where do you feel light. If you ask nicely, you may be able to bring a short plastic spiral (slinky) when your ride. Attach it to your middle finger using a rubber hand. Keep the hand stretched and don't move it, while you observe the motion. How long is the slinky ...

  • ... when you move up in the beginning of the ride?
  • ... when you turn in the highest point?
  • ... when you are on your way down?
  • ... when you turn in the lowest point?
  • ... when you are on your way up again?

The slinky illustrates the forces acting on (and in) your body.

Take a look a the sequence of screen shots from a video of a ride in a similar tower (Stjernetårnet in Tivoli gardens). Where are you moving faster and where are you moving slower. If you look carefully at the sequence, you may see that the person to the right in the image holds a short slinky changing the length while the ride is moving. The second sequence shows a series of close-up screen shots of the slinky during the ride.

Check out the graphs from the ride on a separate page and read more about math and physics in the Zierer Family Free Fall Tower.

Velocity during two bumps

The graph above shows the velocity during two bumps. Which of the letters shows ...

  • maximum height?
  • maximum speed?
  • largest upward acceleration?
  • largest downward acceleration?
  • lowest point?