More than 2,000 students spent their Friday away from the classroom for a lesson in the inner workings of amusement park rides at Calaway Park.

Rollercoasterology, hosted by the University of Calgary and Calaway Park, gave junior high and high school students an opportunity to explore the forces at work in roller-coasters and other thrill rides.

University of Calgary astrophysicist Phil Langil has been involved with rollercoasterology for a decade.

“The junior high students analyze the rides from the machinery end of things,” explained Langil. “Pulleys and levers and gears all combined together to make a complex machine.”

“When you look at these rides, that’s all they are.”

The high school students, including Grade 11 student William Icard, attempted to solve some of the mathematic equations at play in the Vortex, Calaway Park’s steel roller-coaster, including a calculation for speed.

“It’s the change in mechanical energy, not just the mechanical energy,” explained Icard of the math. “Because mass is the same, you can cancel out mass on both sides, and then, a bunch of other stuff, and you get 20.7.”

The speed Icard calculated is 20.7 metres per second, approximately 75 kilometres per hour.

Grade 11 student Celeste Richardson says, despite the roller-coaster’s speed, the math is much more frightening than the ride.

Science teacher Ken Symingtron says the practical application of science in action is a rewarding experience for the students.

“They have an idea that physics and math is not a somewhat boring or static subject,” said Symingtron. “It is very dynamic and interesting and has real world applications.”

Science can help solve the age-old argument of which seat is best on a roller-coaster train. Langil says that while the front seat may offer a better view at the top of the first drop, the math supports the belief that the backseat offers the wildest ride.

“When it goes over the edge the whole car is accelerating,” explained Langil. “When the back car gets there, you’re going much faster over that point.”

This year’s event marked the tenth anniversary of the University of Calgary and Calaway Park’s rollercoasterology partnership.

With files from CTV's Kevin Green