Today was a bad day, the weather was killing me. My brain was wrapped up un a blanket with a runny nose. Suddenly one of my brain cells sneezed, and out of the mucus came an idea (or it just jumbled to seperate concepts into one); physics and Banjo-Kazooie. We all know that the Banjo-Kazooie physics are are unstable, exploitable at best, so I thought we could pool our knowledge of the Banjo-Kazooie world to try and make sense of it all.
Okay, settle down class. Today's lesson is on
Velolcity (lol) and Acceleration.
One of the hot topics on the board involves a helicopter with propellers that spin by themselves and can actually lift a vehicle. This is made possible by exploiting the properties of the wing parts.
Before we go into the details, we must first understand the everyday-
Slimjim, spit out that gum!
...we must understand the physics behind the phenomena.
Two important general physics in the Banjo-Kazooie world are velocity and acceleration.
Contrary to popular belief, velocity is not speed, but speed is, in fact, a part of velocity.
Velocity itself has two components: speed, which can then be broken down into distance and time, and vector (direction).
We would write this as: V = d/t times X degrees)
(Does anyone know a function to create the little degree symbol? Or that little triangle symbol that stands for change?)
Everything in Banjo-Kazooie has or can be given a velocity (it can be moved in a specific direction), except for the world itself of course.
Now for acceleration. Basically, people think of acceleration as speeding up, but it's more coplicated than that.
The formula for acceleration is: a = (a change in) V/t
Acceleration equals velocity over a given period of time.
We can break that down further to say that acceleration equals a change in a given speed or vector over a given time squared.
This means that you don't have to speed up to have acceleration, all you have to do is change the direction you're in.
When you change your velocity by changing your vector, you decrease your speed in the x-axis while increasing it in the y-axis, or vice-versa (If you're walking forward and you turn and walk to the left, you are no longer walking forward).
Something that is spinning is constantly accelerating (moving) without being displaced (moving).
So, one might ask, "What are the ramifications of this?"
Now we go back to the helicopter, or more specifically, the wings on the helicopter.
Banjo-Kazooie wings are essentially converting forward velocity into upward momentum.
What if there is no room to move forward though? How do we achieve lift if we can't move?
The answer is simple, acceleration by changing our vector (spinning).
By having wings of an opposite orientation (one's facing forward, the other is facing backwards) rotate around a central point (the shaft) we allow the wings to experience a forward movement without haveing to ever mover the vehicle as a whole.
Now that the wings have converted the forward movement into lift, they will cause the vehicle go up.
As long as the wings continue to rotate while the vehicle rises, there will essentially be a diagonal movement (up and forward), which means that the wings will continue to spin.
But you say, "As long as the wings spin, the wings spin?"
In mathematics, we call this a paradox. In physics, we call it perpetual motion. The wings will continue to rotate under their own power.
*Ding-dong*
Well, that's the bell. I'll see all of you tomorrow, don't forget to study! I expect all of you to build and bring back a working example of today's lesson.
Tomorrow's lesson will be on
Gravity and Boyantsy.
I'm not crazy, just... enthusiastic.
Nobody bites the Dust.
There's nothing on the internet you'll only find once.
Zombies don't kill, they recruit.
Don't argue with me. I like to argue.
