mystery cache idea

[TheCacheSeeker]

I'm thinking of hiding a mystery cache, which one has to solve a simple physics problem and some math problems to solve it.

 

Any ideas or feedback?

Thanks you.

[+PeachyPA]

I would pass on that one unless my husband could do the problem. I took chemistry but not physics.

[+Ike 13]

Go for it. You'll have very few visitors. Right now I have 7 puzzles that deal with mathematics. Some easy some hard. The puzzle cachers in the area will grab them, and once in awhile a cacher passing through will grab one. (Although I was surprised at how many people from out of the area contacted me about my Euler line series)

[+fizzymagic]

Do it. I have one out there that is a real-world physics/geodesy problem, and I have had a few intrepid finders! Pretty high favorite4s ratio, as well.

[TheCacheSeeker]

Actually, I should have clarified. Its very very very easy physics problem. More like intro to physics problem.

[+Redfist]

Actually, I should have clarified. Its very very very easy physics problem. More like intro to physics problem.

 

If I were sitting at the center of the parade grounds at coordinates X/Y and loaded my pet elephant Elmor into a catapult and fired, where would he land? Elmor weighed X, the catapult was set to force Y and at time T Elmor was seen at position X/Y/Z in the air. I hope he doesn't squash the lock-n-load I placed nearby!!!

 

[+GeoGeeBee]

Go for it. You'll have very few visitors. Right now I have 7 puzzles that deal with mathematics. Some easy some hard. The puzzle cachers in the area will grab them, and once in awhile a cacher passing through will grab one. (Although I was surprised at how many people from out of the area contacted me about my Euler line series)

 

I knew there was a reason I liked you. I didn't realize where you were located, though... I'm going to have to plan a daytrip to SC to find your puzzle caches!

[+Ike 13]

GeoGeeBee a friend saw the same idea on a trip to upstate NY and sent it to me. I solved one and sent them a request to copy the series. They helped a great deal in working it backwards so I could actually know I had 2 good locations and an open area for the third. If you do make it down let me know, by then it may be time to do a maintenance hike.

[TheCacheSeeker]

Do you think if I posted the problem here without the numbers, would it spoil the puzzle?

[+fizzymagic]

Do you think if I posted the problem here without the numbers, would it spoil the puzzle?

Nope. Go for it. Alternatively, feel free to send me any puzzles for honest (and hopefully constructive) feedback!

 

Here is another physics puzzle cache I have. It is a lot easier than the other one, but notice how the problem is integrated into the cache. Also, it's fun to notice that I made the naive (wrong) solution appear right on a trail!

Edited March 28, 2011 by fizzymagic

[TheCacheSeeker]

Here's the aproximate puzzle without the numbers: A Bulgy Bear stands at the roof of his cave and drops a ball. After X seconds the ball hits the ground. What's the distance of the cave? Add Y to this number to get the last Z digits of the latitute. There are two ropes. One is A long and the other is B long. Which one will help the bear get down. Add C to the number of feet that rope is.

Any feedback is appriciated! thanks!

Also, the letters will all be numbers in the real puzzle

Edited March 29, 2011 by TheCacheSeeker

[+Markwell]

Just looking for the gravitational acceleration constant?

 

I've done a couple of puzzle caches that were some multi-stage ones. The oldest was "Hard as Pi" (GCC9D) - most of the clues were just doing some simple math (basic trig, and some interesting math problems), but the locations of the caches were still pretty cool. We decided to follow up with Liberal Arts (GC9A69) that included some chemistry, morse code, and triangulation.

 

The caches were well received in the early days of caching. Hard as Pi was up from Jun 2001 to Aug 2003 and Liberal Arts was around from October 2002 to October 2005. Both had numerous comments from finders that they really enjoyed the caches, but there were indeed few finders (of course there were few finders on ALL caches back then). However today's cachers seem intent upon increasing their find count rather than experiencing the more colorful pursuit. It's much easier to find 100 caches in Walmart/Home Depot/Lowe's parking lots in an afternoon for 100 smiley's than it is to spend an afternoon hunting for a difficult puzzle cache. So people (who are in general lazy) will opt for the 100 caches surrounding your hard puzzle.

 

But I say - Go For It.

[TheCacheSeeker]

Just looking for the gravitational acceleration constant?

 

I've done a couple of puzzle caches that were some multi-stage ones. The oldest was "Hard as Pi" (GCC9D) - most of the clues were just doing some simple math (basic trig, and some interesting math problems), but the locations of the caches were still pretty cool. We decided to follow up with Liberal Arts (GC9A69) that included some chemistry, morse code, and triangulation.

 

The caches were well received in the early days of caching. Hard as Pi was up from Jun 2001 to Aug 2003 and Liberal Arts was around from October 2002 to October 2005. Both had numerous comments from finders that they really enjoyed the caches, but there were indeed few finders (of course there were few finders on ALL caches back then). However today's cachers seem intent upon increasing their find count rather than experiencing the more colorful pursuit. It's much easier to find 100 caches in Walmart/Home Depot/Lowe's parking lots in an afternoon for 100 smiley's than it is to spend an afternoon hunting for a difficult puzzle cache. So people (who are in general lazy) will opt for the 100 caches surrounding your hard puzzle.

 

But I say - Go For It.

Thanks for the feedback, Markwell. I'm still thinking of a interesting place to hide it. I think I know, but I'm not sure if that'll work.

[+Hockeyhick]

I have an Earth cache that requires a little creative math:

 

N.O.A.

 

and a regular puzzle that requires a little deeper thought:

 

I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque...

[+John in Valley Forge]

Something about the Doppler Effect maybe?

[+fizzymagic]

Not bad, with a little editing:

 

 

A Bulgy Bear stands touching a ball to the roof of his cave and drops the ball. After X seconds the ball hits the floor of the cave. What's the height of the cave (in feet)? Add Y to this number to get the last Z digits of the latitude. The bear has two ropes. One is A feet long and the other is B feet long. Which one can the bear use to get down to the floor? Add C to the rope's length in feet to get the last Z digits of the longitude.

 

Edited March 29, 2011 by fizzymagic

[+fizzymagic]

Something about the Doppler Effect maybe?

 

Now that would be a cool cache. Two guys are in a balloon and one is pushed out. As he falls screaming, the guys left in the balloon (who has perfect pitch) notices that the scream is exactly an A5 pitch. The scream goes down in pitch as the poor sucker falls, and, just before the scream it cut off by a "splat," the guy in the balloon notices that it has descended to exactly an F4.

 

Neglecting the effect of air resistance, calculate how far the victim fell and how long the fall took.

 

In fact, you could even give the initial position, height, and speed of the balloon and have the cache be where the poor guy landed. To make it a little more tricky, do it in an area with a fairly steep terrain and don't give the balloon's initial direction.

Edited March 29, 2011 by fizzymagic

[+tomfuller & Quill]

Speaking of steep terrain, I have one called 'slope distance'. I give the slope distance and the percent slope from the cache at the top of Mt. Ray. I cut the difficulty back to 4.5 but the terrain is still 5.

Two cachers were co-FTF in 2007. It hasn't been found since then.

My 'Oregon's Reverse French Manicure' was copied from a similar cache in Texas. I was surprised at how soon that one was found.

[TheCacheSeeker]

Not bad, with a little editing:

 

 

A Bulgy Bear stands touching a ball to the roof of his cave and drops the ball. After X seconds the ball hits the floor of the cave. What's the height of the cave (in feet)? Add Y to this number to get the last Z digits of the latitude. The bear has two ropes. One is A feet long and the other is B feet long. Which one can the bear use to get down to the floor? Add C to the rope's length in feet to get the last Z digits of the longitude.

 

Thanks, fizzymagic!

[+captnemo]

Something about the Doppler Effect maybe?

 

Now that would be a cool cache. Two guys are in a balloon and one is pushed out. As he falls screaming, the guys left in the balloon (who has perfect pitch) notices that the scream is exactly an A5 pitch. The scream goes down in pitch as the poor sucker falls, and, just before the scream it cut off by a "splat," the guy in the balloon notices that it has descended to exactly an F4.

 

Neglecting the effect of air resistance, calculate how far the victim fell and how long the fall took.

 

Problem is once the victim exists the balloon, the balloon will rise as it now lighter! So, what is the victum's weight? What is the tempeture? and what is the volume of the envelope?

[Trader Rick & Rosie]

 

Any ideas or feedback?

 

 

Just. do. it.

[+fizzymagic]

Something about the Doppler Effect maybe?

 

Now that would be a cool cache. Two guys are in a balloon and one is pushed out. As he falls screaming, the guys left in the balloon (who has perfect pitch) notices that the scream is exactly an A5 pitch. The scream goes down in pitch as the poor sucker falls, and, just before the scream it cut off by a "splat," the guy in the balloon notices that it has descended to exactly an F4.

 

Neglecting the effect of air resistance, calculate how far the victim fell and how long the fall took.

 

Problem is once the victim exists the balloon, the balloon will rise as it now lighter! So, what is the victum's weight? What is the tempeture? and what is the volume of the envelope?

Actually, those things don't matter. It's not difficult to show they are negligible. I am starting to really like this puzzle idea.

[+briansnat]

I'm kind of out of shape so forget about physics caches for now. Maybe after I start working out again.

[+John in Valley Forge]

I did not know there was any such thing as SIMPLE physics.

[+StealthRT]

Looks good to me.

[+docsigma]

In my neck of the words, challenging puzzle caches tend to get a surprisingly large number of finds! I say definitely go for it.