Powerful Chemical Conundrums
This series of progressively more complicated mystery caches is based in southern Tasmania. A feature of the series is that no waypoint is available for any of the caches. Each cache is located near an electrical distribution pole or tower ("Powerful"). Transend operates Tasmania's 220 kV and 110 kV transmission networks and our interest is in their high voltage transmission towers. Aurora Energy distributes electricity using a lower voltage network utilising power poles. Safety note: follow any safety warnings and avoid climbing or interfering with the structures.
Finding each cache involves four parts:
- To find the coordinates of the power or tower you will need to solve puzzles based on chemistry ("Chemical Conundrums"). For example properties of a chemical element or of a chemical compound might be used. (Wikipedia is an invaluable tool for this.)
- Each pole or tower targeted can usually be reached via a 0.5 - 5 km walk (or bike ride) along the associated service road (typically of 4-wheel drive standard). There may also be an alternative, sometimes shorter, walking track. You could use Google Maps or Google Earth to plan your route (see Tip 1 below). Coordinates may be confirmed with Geochecker (www.geocaching.com). (see Tip 2 below).
- Once the site has been reached a further short walk, sometimes through light bush, will be required to get to the "waypointless" cache. Each pole or tower has an identifying label attached to it. You will require this information to solve a puzzle to discover where the cache is relative to the pole or tower. Typically you will need to determine distances and/or bearings. It is this part that becomes more difficult as the series develops.
- Use the information revealed in Part 3 and find the actual cache. Since poles and towers are very conspicuous and easy to find, locating the cache has been made more challenging. The cache is in a screw top plastic jar in a black bag and is hidden so as to be inconspicuous. It contains a few small swaps and a couple of items donated by the School of Chemistry, UTAS.
Please note that all coordinates, distances and bearings are as reported by a GPS receiver at the site. The calculation of distances assumes a spherical earth and are great-circle distances; local terrain is not taken into account. Bearings are true and measured in degrees. (Some GPSRs do not measure bearings sufficiently accurately. You may therefore need to use a magnetic compass for the bearings but remember to allow for magnetic variation, currently about 14° E. Note that a magnetic compass is less reliable when in close proximity to high-tension power lines.) Now for this particular cache - good luck with the puzzling, walking/pedalling and finding.
POWERFUL CHEMICAL CONUNDRUM 07 - Wellington Park 04
No waypoint is available for the cache, it has to be found by other means. Therefore more advanced techniques than just going to the cache's waypoint have to be used. (As a bonus this provides an opportunity to practice navigation skills.)
GPS techniques used to find this cache:
- Locate an object using its coordinates (waypoint)
- Make waypoint(s)
- Measure bearings and then determine an angle
- Locate an object using a bearing and a distance from a point
Part 1
The cache is not at the listed coordinates. The required transmission tower is at S 42° 50.x and E 147° 14.y where x and y are both three digit integers. This puzzle involves two fundamental chemical constants.
The Avogadro constant (or number) is the number of atoms in one mole. It may be written in the form:
Avogadro constant = a.bcde × 1023 mol-1
where a, b, c, d and e in "a.bcde" is each a digit in the range 0-9.
- x = (a + c) * 100 + (2 + d) * 10 + (d + e)
The Faraday constant is the magnitude of electric charge per mole of electrons. It may be written in the form:
Faraday constant (integer value) = ghijk C mol-1
where g, h, i, j and k in "ghijk" is each a digit in the range 0-9.
- y = (h - i) * 100 + (10 * k) + g
Coordinates may be confirmed (see Tip 2 below).
Part 2
Next you need to determine how to get to the tower positioned at the coordinates discovered in Part 1. You can view the location in Google Maps and/or Google Earth (see Tip 1 below). There may be several alternative routes.
Site notes: Signage at the entry point indicates that dogs on lead are permitted; so is bike riding but it is classified as being difficult. For more details see the Wellington Park web site.
Part 3
Let us call the transmission tower that you have just located "Tower A". Tower A has a label "Transend opqTrs" where o, p, q, r and s in "opqTrs" is each a digit in the range 0-9.
There are two parallel sets of towers and wires in the immediate area. Find another transmission tower that is in the same set (supports the same wires) as Tower A and is its neighbour. There are two possibilities: the one required has the same label as Tower A except the very last digit (s) has been incremented by one (to s + 1). Call this "Tower B".
Now look at the second set of towers and wires. Locate the tower ("Tower C") in this set that is closest to Towers A and B.
Define Points A, B and C as the centres of the bases of Towers A, B and C respectively. Points A, B and C mark the apexes of a obtuse-angled scalene triangle. Your next task is to determine m where:
- m = magnitude (in degrees) of the internal angle of this triangle at apex C (the obtuse angle)
We will define "Line A" as the straight line passing through Points A and B. Now consider a straight line (we will call it "Line B") that is perpendicular to Line A and passing through the centre of the base of Tower C (Point C). The cache is on Line B and is n metres from Point C.
By symmetry there are two possible sites for the cache (one approximately to the north-east and another to the approximate south-west). Visibility is restricted due to the vegetation. The cache's immediate surroundings were once molten.
A diagram that may clarify the possible cache locations is available - see below.
Part 4
Follow the directions in Part 3 and find the cache. It is a screw top plastic jar in a black bag and is hidden so as to be inconspicuous; it may take some time to find. The jar contains a few small swaps and a couple of items donated by the School of Chemistry, UTAS.
Tip 1 - Visualising the location (optional)
The site coordinates can be used in Google Maps (http://maps.google.com.au/) or in Google Earth (if installed) to visualise the location so that you can determine your approach. Prescribed formats are needed. An example follows. (The result should show the location of Junction Cabin.)
Suppose the required location is S 42° 53.253' E 147° 15.150' (in geocaching representation).
For Google Maps or Google Earth use location: 42 53.253 S 147 15.150 E or location: -42 53.253 147 15.150
Tip 2 - Confirming coordinates and visualising a possible route (optional)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com (a location map is also displayed).