On March 7, UHS physics students spent a day at Knott’s Berry Farm while getting hands-on learning experiences outside of the classroom. The Knott’s Berry Farm field trip is held annually to provide students with an engaging way to apply physics concepts by going on rides at the amusement park. 

Students boarded the bus at 7:45 a.m. and went on rides at around 9 a.m. Students recorded data including the heights, angles and velocities of roller coasters on their lab papers.

“We used the ‘Measure’ app on our phone to get the angles,” junior Dion Wang said. “While waiting for our turn on the rides, we did the calculations to solve for things like energy, power and momentum. Once we got the data, then we could go on the rides and have fun.”

Data collection was a collaborative process between members of the same lab group. Many students preferred this special opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. 

“I really enjoyed learning physics outside instead of in the classroom,” junior Elsa Huang said. “At Knott’s, I did the lab together with my friends. We help[ed] each other [out] when we had questions so it was a more effective [learning environment] than learning by myself.”

The fun learning experience fostered special memories as the trip created a balance between the excitement of theme park attractions and the practical application of physics concepts.

“A key memory for me would be being on the ride HangTime,” junior Sarea Leung said. “Even though we waited in line for almost two hours, I still had a lot of fun playing games like Charades and Never Have I Ever with my friends during the line.”

Students enjoyed fun times during the field trip despite the long wait times for most of the rides. 

“During this trip, Mr. [Tim] Smay said that we have to get back to the bus at 2 p.m.,” Huang said. “But me and my friends were waiting for a particular ride for hours. After we finished, it [was] already 1:55 p.m.” 

As students conducted measurements throughout the field trip, they recalled their preexisting physics knowledge to calculate velocity and acceleration and explain the science behind roller coasters. 

“It was definitely a very fun experience that helped me review the concepts we did in first semester,” Wang said. “I had to do problems with kinematics, momentum and rotational dynamics that I completely forgot about. This was a lot more interactive of an experience.”

Despite the trip being meticulously planned for students, some students claim there is still room for improvement to foster an even more joyful environment for learning and fun. 

“I think one thing that would have really helped is if teachers gave students an overview on data collection,” junior Ivy Wang said. “My group found it difficult to follow the lab instructions for measuring heights and angles, resulting in large experimental errors.” 

After physics students immersed themselves in a unique experience at Knott’s Berry Farm, they offered field trip advice to future physics students. 

“I would definitely recommend future physics students to have this experience as you get to make special memories with your friends while having a hands-on experience learning physics,” Leung said.