Lift Help – When should I switch to new input script?

 Help, spuChallenge  Comments Off on Lift Help – When should I switch to new input script?
Feb 212013
 

Presumably the position where you are going to place the platform is going to depend on the speed and height of the spuCraft as it passes through one or more light gates. You pilot does not know the height and speed of the spuCraft until it passes through the light gate. Therefore you shouldn’t switch to the new input script until it has passed through the light gate(s).

If you switch to the input script too early, it will start positioning the platform based on bad information. Then, when you get good information as the spuCraft passes through the light gate, the platform might be too far away to get to the right location in time.

Related question: Do I need an automatic switch?

Return to Lift Help.

Lift Help – Equations too long

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 212013
 

Yea. Sometimes our equations get real long. One way to make them shorter (per equation box) is to split the equation into part and then use custom pilot functions to write some of the parts.

There is a video which provides an introduction to pilot functions. You can watch it here. The idea is rather simple. Suppose you wanted to type the following equation into an input script:

(x^2 + y^2)*h*v/sin(sqrt(x^2+y^2))

One way to split this up is to define the function pf1 [on the “Functions screen”]. In the pf1 box type:

x^2 + y^2

Then, in the input script box, instead of typing the first equation above, you can write

pf1*h*v/sin(sqrt(pf1))

This is a little shorter. Perhaps you can use the same idea to shorten the equations you need to type in.

Return to Lift Help.

Lift Help – Which Physical Principle

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 212013
 

Often, the Work-Energy Principle is much quicker and easier to use than direct Newton’s second law, F = ma. However, you can’t always use Work-Energy. When asking yourself whether you can use a Work-Energy approach to solving the problem, you should ask yourself a few questions:

  1. Do the knowns and unknowns in the problem involve positions (displacements) and speeds? If so, then work-energy is a candidate. In contrast, time is not part of the work-energy principle. If your problem requires you to determine time, or to know time information, then work-energy is not for you.
  2. Are all the forces which do work ones for which we have simple expressions for work (i.e. constant forces, gravity, and spring forces)?

If both of these are true, then your problem might be a good candidate for a work-energy approach.

If you want to see an example (not Lift, something simpler) of Work-Energy and F=ma applied to the same problem, outlining strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, I encourage you to watch the video below.


Return to Lift Help.

How to pass “Prodigy” level

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 072013
 

Well, there’s a reason this is called the “Prodigy” level. You have to be particularly talented in order to solve it. If you’re talented, you should be able to figure it out yourself.

However, I will tell you that you probably shouldn’t spend too much time trying to solve this until you complete the Free Fall Challenge. After Free Fall the approach for completing Drop Prodigy should be more clear.

Damn Lasers

 Help  No Responses »
Feb 072013
 

One question I often get about the Intermediate level goes something like this:

How do I keep from getting shot by the lasers?

The answer is that you can’t avoid it. The lasers will always get you. The trick is to negate the effect of getting shot by the lasers.

The reason why getting shot by the laser produces bad consequences is because it happens asymmetrically. One leg gets shot off first, then the other. We’ll discuss the physics behind this later in the semester. But if you have symmetric thrust on while the body is asymmetric, the spuCraft will begin to rotate. Yikes.

If you keep the thrust off while the body is asymmetric, you’ll be OK.

Perhaps you can start thinking about why.

Unable to maneuver spuCraft

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 072013
 

The purpose of Spumone is to develop your engineering problem-solving skills, not your gaming skills. If you feel that you do not have the eye-hand coordination to get the spark and land safely on the bridge, let me know. I can get you past this part, so that you can focus on the engineering.

If the menu world is too difficult to0, let me know.

Drop Help – How to approach a belt.

 Help, spuChallenge  No Responses »
Feb 062013
 

Note: Before addressing this part of the problem, I suggest that you figure out exactly how much you should apply as your spuCraft is passing the first belt. There is a help page here on that subject.

Before reaching a belt, you must get the spuCraft to the right speed. This can be complicated. But it can also be very simple.

My suggestion is to make it simple. You do not get any extra points for a smooth flight in Drop. Let gravity do most of the work. Then fire the thrusters at just the right moment.

I would suggest that you sketch plots of position, velocity, and acceleration. Your plots should start at the bridge and continue until it reaches the first belt. At the bridge, the spuCraft should be motionless. By the time it reaches the belt, it has to be moving at the constant speed of the belt. How do you get from one point to the other? Keep it simple! Remember that it’s OK to match the speed of the belt before you get to the belt.

 

 Older Entries  Newer Entries