Outline of Term Paper

Physics of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

I. Introduction- Teenager Percy Jackson’s entire world is turned upside down when he learns he is a demi-god, the son of the god of the seas– Poseidon. He must find and return Zeus’s lightning bolt to Mount Olympus by the end of the time allotted to him. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

A. Super-natural abilities of demi-gods?

B. Magical Apparel– Shoes of Hermes defying gravity’s effects

C. Magical Weapons– The Effects of Lightning and “Projectile Lightning”

D. Thesis Statement

II. Super-natural abilities of demi-gods?

-Resistant to all general bodily harm, Effects of violent force on the human body.

A. Percy gets thrown into a tree trunk by a minotaur and gets only a few bruises. Impulse, Momentum

B. Percy repels thrusts of gigantic hydra heads with bronze shield. Action-Reaction

C. When falling from the Empire State building Percy thrusts Luke against the building's side.

Luke's head is not struck off by any passing structural elements, nor are his scalp or clothes burned or otherwise abraded from friction. Friction?

D. Percy rolls out of a high fall and receives only minor injuries.

III. Magical Apparel– Shoes of Hermes defying gravity’s effects

A. Shoes give wearer ability to free entire body from gravity’s influence

- With two sets of wings, each wing having an area of 48 square-inches, being 12" long x 4" wide, how many times per second would each wing have to flap in order to lift 150 Lbs.?

How many degrees make the arc of an ideal flap?

- Shoes allow wearer to fly at low speeds horizontally. How is the wearer being supported?

With muscles and bones of steel or with skyhooks, or maybe a harness?

- Ana Beth delivers a round-house kick to the face to Luke, who goes sailing high into the air.

Ana Beth's body responds as though she had kicked a soccer ball. How is this possible?

B. Luke flies at Percy, misses, then immediately swivels horizontally in place, and kicks Percy's face.

Momentum!

C. Shoes affect falling…?

- When falling from the Empire State building, Percy and Luke descend in a parabolic arc only long enough to clear the outer edge of the building, then plummet straight down.

- After straightening the path of their descent, the combatants fall without regard to air resistance.

Both boys remain in vertical alignment for more convenient exchanging of glares and blows.

- When one wing is cut from Percy's left shoe by a hurled projectile he immediately begins falling straight down. Wouldn't Percy pitch toward his left because of the unbalanced upward force?

IV. Magical Weapons– The Effects of Lightning and “Projectile Lightning”

A. As Luke discharges the lightning bolt at Percy and friends, the bolt recoils. How? Action-Reaction

B. As the lightning bolt from Luke's blast strikes the concrete wall of the building the wall explodes.

C. When Luke shoots individual bolts of lightning at Percy, Percy deflects them with his sword.

Conduction

D.When Percy engulfs Luke in a spherical torrent of water, the lightning bolt of Zeus which Luke holds continues to arc with electrical current. Should Luke encounter the electrical current?

- Water as a conductor of electricity

V. Conclusion

A. Restate thesis

B. Summary of main points

C. Tying up last thoughts and discoveries