• How much energy does The Big One need stored at the very top to make sure it can get round?
• How do roller-coasters create negative g?
• What’s a big no-no when designing a roller-coaster?
• What makes ICON so iconic?

Last Wednesday, Year 11 headed for Blackpool to find out the Science behind designing and making a world-class roller-coaster and the History behind how a few Victorian rides on the sand became one of the UK’s biggest theme parks over a century later.

Afterwards, they got to put their new-found knowledge to the test and conducted vital research into which rides gave them the biggest adrenaline boost to their heart rates.

A great day was had by all as the clouds parted just after 11am but Valhalla did leave some students slightly soggy for the journey home!

By the way, the answers are;

• 5.3 megajoules,
• centripetal force & a concave curve,
• Lateral jolts (they make you throw up)
• it’s the only coaster that has a 2^nd boost of energy halfway round!