Kelsey Smith Mrs. Patterson Honors Conceptual Physics (Period 7) October 31, 2015 My objective for this project was to build a simple, working catapult that could launch a marshmallow and hit a target five meters away. I chose the design for my catapult for many reasons. First, this catapult design could easily be adjusted to launch correctly. The design is also sturdy enough to stand on its own, and will not fall apart easily. Several physics concepts and equations are also used in this design, such as projectiles, projectile motion at an angle, and the equations involving velocity, acceleration, displacement or distance, and time. Some of these equations are v= veo + ast, x = % (Wao + Vs) t, and ve? = vy0? + 2a. Catapults have been used frequently throughout history. They were often used as ‘weapons during medieval times to fling large stones and other objects at enemies. Some of the most well-known kinds of catapults created around this time are the ballista and the trebuchet. Today, catapults are not used as frequently to attack cities like they were in medieval times, Catapults are now used in games and even to launch aircraft. Materials: © 1 Spoon © 1 Pencil © 1 Shoebox © 4 Rubber bands © Duct tape Distance Time Vo Vso Vo 3.4m O78 3.5 mis 95 mis 10.12 m/s 3.68 m 1.035 337Tm/s | 10.09 mis 10.7 mis 4.0m Gs 65 m/s 6.17 mis 8.96 m/s& ecossed peacils dy Suppurh eax Rubber band de ecttach 9p%n| to penc'! Spoon re = i = : Youn mee marshmallow L 3 rubver bunds +o lewnch Speen Fac waned | i | oy Lup ice wand aud fo shop apson In conclusion, my catapult did work effectively, but there were some errors. The spoon is attached in a way that makes it easy to readjust, but this can also cause it to shift while launching objects. Attaching it more securely would have been better, but it might have also been unable to be readjusted. Also, if there were more pencils supporting the inside of the box, it would make the rubber bands tighter and allow the spoon to launch items better,