Students Experience Physics Day at Six Flags

What’s the best way to bring physics to life for high school students?

More than 60 Xavier students would argue that it includes traveling to Physics Day at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, to witness the subject's real-life applications.

“We’ve been going since 2006,” said physics teacher Alex Lavy. “Kids learn the physics behind the rides in the week leading up to the trip and make observations about force, motion, and energy at the park itself.”

On May 27, Xavier students roamed Six Flags freely during this year’s edition of Physics Day, calling it an enjoyable and revealing experience.

“This trip gave us first-hand experiences of centripetal force, circular motion, and clothoid loops. I was able to see the structure of these roller coasters and saw how and why they worked,” said Mario Cimino ’17. “While on the rides, I constantly felt a shift between being weightless and heavy.”

“Riding a roller coaster is a whole new experience once you are able to understand the physics behind it,” added Christopher LaMonica ’17. “It actually makes it a bit more intimidating when you know how many g-forces you are traveling at on Kingda Ka.”

Rafe Chierchio '17 agreed. “On every roller coaster I went on, I felt the different forces the coaster exerted on the track,” he said. “It was odd to actually think of forces in a real-life situation at such a fast pace.”

“The trip helped me understand physics first-hand by providing me with a different perspective. Instead of theoretical problems, we were placed in situations where we could understand physics in a first-person perspective. When going on Green Lantern, I could feel the g-force rather than just calculate it,” said Donovan Brady ’17. “Overall, Physics Day was an amazing experience. Eventually, I hope Xavier underclassmen will enjoy this trip as much as I have.”