What really happens is
as you go down that 10m
drop, gravity gives you
extra speed. Science has a
word called “momentum”
which tells you how
hard it would be to stop
something that’s moving.
To find momentum you
multiply its speed with
the weight of the object. A
feather moving at 20mph
has a lot less momentum
than a car at 20mph. By
the time you reach the
bottom of the Pirate Falls
drop, the boat with you in
it has a big momentum.
As it hits the water, the
momentum is transferred
into the water. The boat
slows down quickly, but
the water flies up into
the air with all
the new
18
SPARK
energy it suddenly has.
This makes a terrific
splash!
On the Thunder Blazer
ride (based on the Lego
character Johnny Thunder,
an archaeologist–
adventurer), you
experience another part of
science: centrifugal force.
You sit on a swing and are
safely strapped in. The
carousel turns and speeds
up until it takes only seven
seconds to go all the
way round. At this speed
the centrifugal force is
strong enough to push
you outwards, away from
the centre of the carousel.
Because you’re on a swing
this also means
you’re