The Science of Water Parks

The Science of Water Parks — page 3 — his chest The tunnel closes over him one more time The slide zigs and zags and then the rider can see light at the end of the slide He splashes into the pool The rider swims to the surface and paddles to the steps He wipes water from his eyes and grins He loves going to the water park with his family A PARK FULL OF SCIENCE Science is everywhere in water parks Researchers and designers work hard to make sure water parks are not only fun but also safe There are nearly 1,200 water parks in the United States and Canada and even more around the world Some parks are outside Others are inside People can have fun at water parks all year long There are many things to consider when designing a water park Scientists use chemicals and filters to keep water clean Physics explains why waterslides are fun Researchers study how waves form so water parks can Many people enjoy a big splash at the end of a waterslide 6

The Science of Water Parks — page 4

The Science of Water Parks — page 5 — MOST VISITED WATER PARKS KANSAS MISSOURI OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI GEORGIA ALABAMA TEXAS LOUISIANA 4 KENTUCKY TENNESSEE WEST VIRGINIA 5 VIRGINIA NORTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA W E N S FLORIDA 1 2 3 1 Typhoon Lagoon Florida 2 Blizzard Beach Florida 3 Aquatica Florida 4 Schlitterbahn Texas 5 Water Country USA Virginia HAWAII Water parks are located all across the United States But some people travel long distances to go to water parks The map above shows the most visited water parks in 2016 What do you notice about the places where the most popular water parks are located make wave pools And ride designers are always trying to make the next exciting ride for guests FORCES AT WORK There are many forces at work in a water park Human bodies are naturally buoyant in water This means they 8

The Science of Water Parks — page 6 — CONSERVING WATER AT A WATER PARK Water parks can be huge The largest water park in the United States is Noah’s Ark in Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin Noah’s Ark covers 70 acres 28 ha It takes millions of gallons of water to run some water parks But water park officials know it is important parks clean water that is already in the park This allows them to reuse some or most of the water over and over again Some parks only have to refill the water that is lost toward Earth’s center to conserve water Most water gravity to pull the rider to evaporation float in water Buoyancy is an important part of water parks Gravity is also important Gravity is one of the main reasons people go fast when they ride down a waterslide Gravity pulls a person’s body A waterslide or water coaster starts high off the ground It slopes down which allows The steeper the slope the faster the rider speeds up 9

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