UNUSUAL JOBS THAT USE MATHS. By Ethan Lowden 2A UNUSUAL JOBS THAT USE MATHS.

Contents Page 1: Introduction Page 2: Mathematics skills required Page 3: Salary & Availability Page 4: Challenges in the job Page 5: Degrees Required Page 6: Conclusion Page 7: Bibliography

Introduction I decided to choose a Roller Coaster Designer for my presentation because I absolutely love roller coasters and enjoy the adrenaline whenever I go onto them. I think that it also uses an excessive amount of maths to become a highly qualified and trusted designer since you have been given the responsibility of others lives.

Mathematic skills required Since there are many loops and sharp turns throughout the ride you need to be knowledgeable about weight: to ensure that the tracks aren't under so much pressure from the mass (weight) that they collapse, velocity's: to acknowledge the speed of each cart, (if there are multiple) so that the carts don’t collide into each other, and so that the tracks wont overheat. Acceleration and deceleration, to understand if the human body can withstand the speeds and pressures of acceleration and deceleration. Calculus, is used to find the rate of change and slopes of curves in the rollercoaster, which is crucial to a safe design. Trigonometry, is used in the blueprints of the roller coaster, calculating the different dimensions, height, width and angles.

Salary & Availability There is a very small amount of designers in this occupation, it is estimated that there are only 30-100 designers in the USA (figures varied depending on the source). Although this is a niche market the salaries are less than you would expect for such a high risk job, for the first five years you get paid an average of £30,000 annually and after that you get an average of £50,000 annually. Highly qualified designers have a salary of between £60,000-£100,000 annually, depending on their previous work and recommendations or sponsorships.

Challenges in the profession Even though this job is considered a ‘dream job’ it has many challenges awaiting for people in this profession. Some of the challenges of the job are how stressful it can be when staying within deadlines and budget. Another challenge would be working within the regulation and safety standards. A very obvious challenge would be actually designing the roller coaster depending on your chosen market for the roller coaster. The most stressful challenge of this profession would be disasters that could happen on the ride, which in extreme cases could cause death. If in cases like that, or less severe incidents, the designer would have to deal with lawsuits or criminal charges for negligence.

Degrees Required There are several different degrees which would increase your likelihood of becoming a designer. The minimum requirement for this job would be an engineering degree, the most common engineering degree used in this career is mechanical engineering or structural engineering, these both need to be at bachelor’s or master’s level. However some of the designers take degrees in mathematics or physics. However a small number of the designers have no degree. But they are not as qualified, which may mean they earn less money.

Bibliography http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-dream-jobs-that-require-math http://study.com/articles/Roller_Coaster_Engineer_Job_Description_and_Education_Requirements.html http://www.salary.com/dream-job-roller-coaster-designer/ http://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/job-profile-roller-coaster-designer http://www.insidejobs.com/careers/roller-coaster-designer http://study.com/articles/Roller_Coaster_Design_Degree_and_Training_Programs.html https://prezi.com/1hh1if2yuswj/trigonometry-in-engineering/