Physics Treasure Hunt

Introduction:

Many people don't realize that the infamous pirate Captain Hooke, besides being a nefarious rascal, was also an accomplished physicist (remember Hooke's Law?). Being a physicist, instead of drawing a boring old treasure map, it was Captain Hooke's custom to locate his treasures using vectors. You have found one of Captain Hooke's treasure "maps", so it is your job to follow the "map", find the treasure, and bring it to your instructor for your reward (credit for this lab!).

Equipment:

metric measuring tape

treasure map

magnetic compass

Rules:

  1. All treasure hunts start at the "X marks the spot" on the front table of the classroom.
  2. North, south, east, and west are assumed to align with the lines in the floor tiles of the school building.
  3. The y-axis (j direction) is North, the x-axis (i direction) is East, and the z-axis (k direction) is up.
  4. Heading angles are measured clockwise from North. North is a heading of 0o, East is a heading of 90o, etc..
  5. You may not knock out walls, dig through floors or ceilings, or disturb any other classes in any way. (!!!)
  6. You may not leave school grounds.
  7. When you find the treasure that crafty old Captain Hooke has hidden, bring it to your instructor.

Hint:

Think about this - there is an intelligent way to do it!

last update September 4, 2002 by JL Stanbrough