How Do Water Slides Work? Science Facts For Curious Kids

If you have ever visited an amusement park, you will notice that the main attraction are water-themed rides.

Summer vacation is the time to kick back and relax. With the term coming to an end, the free time kids get is spent playing and traveling.

Many people choose to visit amusement parks or water parks with their friends and family, and what better way to beat the heat than splash around in water. Water slides are wildly popular these days, and hence attract most of the crowd.

On average, water slides are around 20-330 ft (6-100.5 m) long, and depending on the length, the platform can be around 10-50 ft (3 to 15 m) high.

The longest waterslide in the world is located in ESCAPE Penang in Malaysia which is 3645 ft (1110 m) long.

Another popular attraction in amusement parks is the roller coaster, which is very dangerous. Even though water slides themselves are dangerous, high-speed roller coasters are much more dangerous than any water slide or speed slide.

Combining the two, we get a ride known as a wet roller coaster in which the riders drive through a pool of water while on a roller coaster. It may sound rather cool, but it too is incredibly dangerous.

In fact, all the rides at amusement parks are dangerous, except a select few, and one has to be very careful not to get injured.

If you are a fan of water slides, be sure to check out other interesting articles on how do cacti get water and freshwater facts.

Working Of A Waterslide With Example

There are many types of water slides like speed slides, bowls, or aqua loops. Water slide designs have curves, some an open surface with water running in every direction, some even have small stairs or bumps.

These different types of slides work differently, but the main principle behind the working is the same. It is a product of three of the fundamental natural forces; gravity, friction, inertia. Gravity forces the riders down the slide, and water acts as the lubricant ensuring a fast and smooth slide.

Understanding how water slides work requires just a little bit of basic physics.

The science behind the working of a waterslide is as follows: Water slides use a pump that pushes the water to the top which is then allowed to fall back into the pool. At the top, a lifeguard is present so that they can help in case of an injury.

This helps to reduce friction between the slide and the slider allowing them to travel down quickly.

To understand this better, let us consider the example of a certain slider, who begins by climbing up the stairs to the platform. The slider starts at the top of the slide, where its potential energy is the highest.

As they begin to slide down due to the downward force of gravity, the potential energy gets converted to kinetic energy.

The increase in kinetic energy increases the speed of the slider. As gravity pulls them towards the earth, the slider finally reaches the end, where a pool waits for them with a huge splash.

This occurs because they enter the water, where there is nothing to reduce the friction with considerable force, and as a result water spills out in every direction trying to counteract the said force. Here water acts as resistance.

This in fact is more pronounced for heavier riders as they slide faster than lighter people due to reduced friction.

Also, it is absolutely possible to fall off a water slide if the correct posture is not maintained, and a safety harness is not worn. This especially happens while taking sharp turns on the curved sides of the slide.

How do inflatable waterslides work?

Inflatable waterslides also work with the same principle of gravity, friction, and inertia. Inflatable waterslides are generally used at home.

They are made of thick and strong PVC and inflated using an electric pump or blower. The water supply comes from a hose that is attached to the side of the slide.

They are considerably smaller in size compared to the ones at water parks. The ones at water parks are huge and dangerous.

An inflatable water slide on the other hand is much smaller and safer, although the science behind it is similar to the huge waterslides. Also, these can be used without water as a simple slide, although the speed while sliding will be considerably lower.

Why do you go down a waterslide fast?

The water present in the slides acts as a lubricant which helps to reduce friction between the rider and the slide, increasing the speed of the rider.

Every surface in this world no matter how smooth has microscopic bumps. These bumps cause friction. In an ordinary slide, when sliding down, the riders are in contact with the slide directly.

This results in friction which creates a force that acts on the riders opposite to the direction of their motion, slowing them down. In a waterslide, the water is kept to a certain level.

This water forms tiny droplets and enters into the bumps that cause friction. By doing this they essentially cover up the bumps, reducing friction as a result. So when a rider slides down, the friction acting on them essentially gets reduced manyfold allowing them to side down at a greater speed.

Why do you have to cross your legs in a water slide?

A rider generally crosses their legs in a water slide to travel down in a faster and safer manner by making their body streamlined.

Aerodynamics is the science of the motion of a body in the air. Consider a bird or a plane.

They both have an almost similar streamlined or aerodynamic design. This streamlined design allows them to attain higher speeds when traveling through the air by reducing friction.

For the same reason, riders cross their legs while sliding. This allows them to reduce the friction caused by air and slide down faster. If they keep their feet open they may end up seriously injuring themselves.

When they are traveling, the air current offers resistance. If the riders keep their feet open, and at unequal separation from the central axis of their body, the force of resistance offered by the air will be unequal as well.

This will result in a torque, which is the rotational equivalent of linear motion. This torque will end up rotating their body, which can result in a serious injury.

The safety of a water slide is a debatable topic. Water slides count for around 20% of the injuries caused at an amusement park.

But, one of the reasons water slides are considered to be safe is because it uses natural forces to cause motion. The water present in the slide acts as a lubricant which ensures riders do not get stuck.

The friction also helps to keep riders in place. The curves of the water slides are banked or kept at an angle as compared to the horizontal plane to ensure safer turning at higher speeds.

Apart from these, riders are provided with life jackets to ensure none of them drown. A lifeguard is present at all times to tend to any injury that may befall someone.

Some high-speed riders provide the riders with tubes so that they do not get hurt. The pool at the end of the ride is shallow enough to prevent drowning and deep enough to act as a cushion for the rider.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how do waterslides work, science facts for curious kids, then why not take a look at 17 curious Gettysburg facts that will amaze you or ancient Egypt for kids, ancient world facts for curious kids?