What is it?

The science of tubing is a 3-hour learning program, at the Tubing area at Buck Hill.  An ideal laboratory that allows your students not only to witness the laws of physics in operation but also experience them first hand.  Your students are given the opportunity to collect and analyze their own raw data.  You may want your students to quantify their results or you may have them simply describe what they have experienced with your guidance. To quantify their experiences, only simple equipment is needed. All of this equipment will be furnished by Buck Hill. Using this equipment to gather the necessary data will allow calculations of the following: Average speed, acceleration, the force of friction, coefficient of friction, potential energy, kinetic energy, work, and power enabling the student to:

  1. Calculate average velocity while descending the hill.
  2. Apply the principles of conservation of energy to determine the speed and acceleration of an object while traveling down the hill.
  3. Calculate the coefficient of friction.
  4. Calculate the work done.
  5. Use right triangle trigonometry to calculate the height of the hill.
  6. Apply Newton’s Laws of motion to explain the effect of forces on passengers.
  7. Calculate the effect of friction bringing the tube to rest at the bottom of the hill.
  8. Calculate the potential and kinetic energies.
  9. Calculate the work needed to pull a tuber up the hill.
The Buck Hill Tubology program includes tube rentals, lifts to the top of the hill, all of the equipment needed for the experiments, student workbooks, and plenty of free time for tubing fun!

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the activities, students will have an enhanced understanding of the following concepts of physics on the macroscopic scale:

WORK • POWER • FORCE

KINEMATICS • FRICTION • ACCELERATION

POTENTIAL ENERGY • KINETIC ENERGY

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY • AVERAGE SPEED

PRINCIPLE OF GRAPHING • TRIGONOMETRY

TAKE SCIENCE OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND INTO THE REAL WORLD BY CHALLENGING YOUR STUDENTS TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS IN ACTION!

How to Reserve

A minimum of 50 students is required, and the cost is $14/student. Please contact the Ski School for details.

Schedule your trip today by contacting the Ski School (952) 255-6700 or by emailing skischool@buckhill.com

Snow Sessions are available beginning at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday, November through March (weather permitting).

Warm Weather Sessions are available June through October.

NOTE: Groups are to provide their own staff at each zone for student activities. Buck Hill does not provide teaching staff in any zone but will have staff available to assist students at the top of the tubing hill and at the entrance to the lift.

Have questions about our Science of Tubing class or availability? Call us at (952) 255-6709 or email us.