Chapter 26

Physics in Zelda

Lesson Overview

Title: Hyrule Physics: Modeling Wave Properties with The Legend of Zelda
Subject: Science (Physical Science)
Age Group(s): 11–14 (Middle School)
Tags: waves, energy, reflection, absorption, transmission, gamification, The Legend of Zelda

Description:
In this lesson, students will analyze gameplay from The Legend of Zelda to understand fundamental properties of waves. By observing how energy beams interact with the game's environment and characters, students will develop and use models to describe wave transmission, absorption, reflection, and the relationship between wave amplitude and energy.

Lesson Plan

📋 Find the full lesson plan on the companion GameClass lesson — link at the bottom of this page!

Lesson Content

I. Key Teaching Points

  • Point 1: Waves are disturbances that transfer energy from one point to another without transferring matter.
  • Point 2: When a wave encounters an object or a new material, it can be transmitted (pass through), absorbed (energy is taken in), or reflected (bounces off).
  • Point 3: A wave's amplitude relates to its energy; waves with greater amplitude (appearing more intense or powerful) carry more energy.

II. Practical Examples

For Teaching Point 1:
The enemies in the video create bright beams of light. These beams travel across the field and cause a small explosion and damage when they hit something, demonstrating a clear transfer of energy from the enemy to its target. The air itself does not move — only the energy moves through it.

For Teaching Point 2:
The video provides clear examples of each wave behavior:

  • Transmission: The energy beams are transmitted through the air in a straight line from the enemy toward their target (0:03–0:05).
  • Absorption: When a beam hits the grassy ground or another enemy, the beam stops and its energy is absorbed, resulting in an explosion (0:05–0:07). This is most clearly seen when one enemy is destroyed by a beam fired from another.
  • Reflection (Implied): While the player does not use a shield in the clip, the presence of a "Royal Shield" on the ground (0:02) provides an opportunity for prediction. Students can hypothesize what would happen if the player picked up the shield and blocked a beam — based on the properties of a shield, the beam would be reflected, bouncing off in a new direction.

For Teaching Point 3:
The beams fired by the enemies are bright, large, and visually intense. This high intensity represents a high amplitude, which corresponds to the large amount of energy required to cause damage and explosions upon impact. A less-intense, dimmer beam would logically carry less energy and cause less damage.

End of Lesson