Physics of Imagineering - Schedule

FS 21 - The Physics of Imagineering
Fall 2011 - Schedule

Class will meet in Appleton Hall of Numbers

Note that this schedule is tentative and all plans are subject to change.

Thursday, September 1 - Introductions and Registration preparation
Goals for today:
- Meet everyone in the class and discuss individual goals:
  - Where are you from?
  - What do you hope to get out of your four years here?
  - What is your favorite thing about Disneyland (ride/character/story)?
- Discuss registration
  - Open houses for various majors
  - Placement testing
  - Demonstrate webadvisor
  - Set up schedule for advising
Assignments:
- To prepare for registration, think about what classes you might like to take. These websites might help:
  - http://www.redlands.edu/
  - http://www.quintcareers.com/first-year_success.html (Also check out the links at the bottom of the article)
  - http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/27746.html
  - Redlands course catalog
Friday, September 2 - Introduction to course
Goals for today:
- Discuss course goals
- Discuss Disneyland:
  - Have you been to Disneyland? How many times?
  - What is your favorite ride(s)?
  - What are good websites with information about Disneyland?
  - Where have you wondered "How do they do that?"
Assignments:
- Before the class, check out some disney web sites:
Wednesday, Sept. 7 - Magnetism
Goals for today:
- Learn basic properties of magnetism
- Experiment with magnetic materials
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #1 due Friday, September 9th by 11 am.
Monday, Sept. 12 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- Discuss whether it's possible for an object to have a north pole and no south pole
- Why do both sides of a magnet attract a paper clip?
- Discuss how Disneyland uses magnetism to give a sense of place
- Discuss possible magnetic illusions
Assignments:
- Homework questions due Tuesday, September 13th at 5 pm. You can use books or the internet for reference, but be careful to use trustworthy sources. Also, you must cite your sources.
  1. In what sense are all magnets electromagnets?
  2. Why is it inadvisable to make a horseshoe magnet from a flexible material?
  3. A "dip needle" is a small magnet mounted on a horizontal axis so that it can swivel up or down (like a compass turned on its side). Where on Earth will a dip needle point most nearly vertically? Where will it point most nearly horizontally?
  4. Your friend says that, when a compas is taken across the equator, it turns around and points in the opposite direction. Your other friend says that this is not true, that people in the Southern Hemisphere use the south magnetic pole of ht ecompass to point toward the nearest pole. You're on; what do you say?
Wednesday, Sept. 14 - Optics
Goals for today:
- Learn the basic visual properties and a few ways we can be "tricked" using visuals
- Finish arrangements for Sunday's trip to Disneyland
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #2 due Friday, September 16th by 10 am.
- Go to Disneyland on Sunday, September 18th.
Monday, Sept. 19 - Optics
Goals for today:
- Watch video of Haunted Mansion ride, which was closed during our visit:
  - Video of haunted mansion
  - Video of the introduction to the Haunted Mansion
Assignments:
- Due Tuesday, September 20th at 5 pm: List of "How'd they do that?" questions for Disneyland. If you heard the question from someone else, you must name them. Be clear about which ride, what section of the ride, etc. Also, include any guesses you have for how the effect was achieved.
- Do reading before class On Wednesday
Wednesday, Sept. 21 - Optics
Goals for today:
- Learn about specific illusions used at Disneyland:
  - forced perspective
  - pepper's ghost
  - floating image
  - freaky faces
- Share forced perspective images from Monday's assignment
- Discuss which disneyland rides use these (and other optical) techniques
Assignments:
- Before class, read these web sites:
- Due Friday, September 23rd - Forced Perspective Calculation
Monday, Sept. 26 - Electricity
Goals for today:
- Learn the basic properties of electricity
- Conduct experiments with electric circuits
- Perform a calculation using estimation
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #3 due Tuesday, September 27th by 5 pm.
Wednesday, Sept. 28 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- Discuss estimation excercises and how they can be applied to Disneyland
- Estimate how many riders get on Pirates of the Carribbean in a day
Assignments:
- Due Friday, September 30th at 10 am. Pick two rides (one will end up your final project). Estimate the daily ridership on each. Compare the length of their lines.
Monday, Oct. 3 - Student Life
Goals for today:
- Learn about some of the resources that Student Life offers
Assignments:
- TBA
Wednesday, Oct. 5 - Intro. to Library
Goals for today:
- Navigate the library web site in order to locate the library catalog, specific databases, and get help from a reference librarian
- Search the library catalog
- Develop criteria to evaluate sources
- Learn how to cite a source
Assignments:
- Look up information about the two rides you used in last week's hw. When did the ride open? Is it unique? What company was it purchased from? How popular is it? What other information can you find out?
Monday, Oct. 10 - No class
Fall Break
Wednesday, Oct. 12 - Gravity
Goals for today:
- Learn about forces (especially the gravitational force), acceleration, and how forces create thrills.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #3 due Friday, Obtober 12th by 10 am.
Monday, Oct. 17 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- Discuss how gravity works in rides
- On which rides doe you feel an increase in the gravitation force? Where is there a decrease?
- What does Star Tours have to do with gravity?
Assignments:
- Due Wednesday at beginning of class
  - An old DCA brouchure claims that California Screamin' goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 4 seconds. During that acceleration, how many g's are you feeling?
  - In his famous novel Journey to the Moon, Jules Verne stated that occupants in a spaceship would shift their orientation from up to down when the ship crossed the point where the Moon's gravitation became greater than the Earth's. Is this correct? Write about 1/2 to 1 page defense of your answer.
Wednesday, Oct. 19 - Friction
Goals for today:
- Learn about the force of friction and the normal force.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #5 due Friday, October 21st by 10 am.
Monday, Oct. 24 - Newton's Laws
Goals for today:
- To be introduced to balancing forces and centripetal force.
- To calculate various forces.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #6 due Wednesday, October 26th at the beginning of class.
Wednesday, Oct. 26 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- What rides employ friction? Centripetal acceleration?
- Discuss courses available - any questions about requirements?
- Give each other advice for classes to take or avoid.
- Make schedule for advising
Assignments:
- Due Friday, October 28th by 10 am. E-mail the instructor a paper comparing the 2 rides you wrote about previously. Use at least 2 new sources, address any questions from the previous paper, and use in-text references.
Monday, Oct. 31 - Energy
Goals for today:
- To be introduced to Energy.
- To calculate the values of various forms of energy and show that it is conserved.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #7 due Wednesday, November 2nd at the beginning of class.
Wednesday, Nov. 2 - Trajectory
Goals for today:
- To practice using components.
- To draw a trajectory.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #8 due Friday, November 4th at 10 am.
Monday, Nov. 7 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- Go over Physics that we've learned so far.
- Get ideas for final projects.
Assignments:
- look up classes for Spring before you come to advising.
Wednesday, Nov. 9 - Range
Goals for today:
- To practice trajectory and data collection.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to assignment #9 due Friday, November 11th at 10 am.
Monday, Nov. 14 - Design
Goals for today:
- To learn about the design process.
- To participate in a brainstorming session.
Assignments:
- Bring print-out of assignment or computer (or smartphone) to class.
- Notebook with answers to individual questions in assignment #10 due at the end of class. Notes from Discussion groups due via e-mail (one per group) Tuesday at 10 am.
Wednesday, Nov. 16 - Discussion Goals for today:
- Discuss final project ideas.
- Get suggestions for topics to include in final projects.
- Review ride length calculation.
Assignments:
- Final Project proposal due Friday November 18th at 8 am. This must include an outline for the project, an annotated bibliography, and a statement of scientific question to be answered.
Monday, Nov. 21 - Research Project
Goals for today:
- Visit the library for help with research project.
Assignments:
- Due by Tuesday, November 22nd at 5 pm: List of questions about final project.
Wednesday, Nov. 23 - No class
Monday, Nov. 28 - Discussion
Goals for today:
- Wrap up what we learned this semester.
- Answer any questions about final projects.
- Determine order for presentations.
Assignments:
- Work on presentations.
Wednesday, Nov. 30 - Final Projects
Goals for today:
- Ask good questions of each presentation.
Monday, Dec. 5 - Final Projects
Goals for today:
- Ask good questions of each presentation.
Wednesday, Dec. 7 - Final Projects
Goals for today:
- Ask good questions of each presentation.
Monday, Dec. 12 - TBA