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Free-Fallin’ Physics at Six Flags

AUG 01, 2014
SPS volunteers host outreach events at Six Flags America
SPS volunteers host outreach events at Six Flags America

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On May 2nd, thousands of high school physics students descended on Six Flags America just outside of Washington, DC. The Society of Physics Students staff, volunteers from local chapters, and physics enthusiasts from across the Mid-Atlantic region were there to welcome them! Accelerometers in hand, we asked high school students to brave the theme park’s gut-wrenching, free-falling, thrill-inducing rides for the sake of science. Photos by Matthew Payne.

So you think you're clever because you can calculate the forces a person on stilts experiences? Try actually walking on them yourself, as these nimble students learned to do!

So you think you’re clever because you can calculate the forces a person on stilts experiences? Try actually walking on them yourself, as these nimble students learned to do!

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