Operation Catapult Design Challenge
Catapults
When you think of a catapult you may think of
the ballistic devices used to storm castles in the
Middle Ages or of the pumpkin chunking contest
held around the country every fall. The catapult
is a machine used to hurl projectiles over a great
distance without the use of explosives. There are
many different types of
catapults
including:
Ballista – Like a crossbow, it worked by using tension
Trebuchet – It included a lever and sling
Mangonel – Projectiles were launched from a bowl-shaped bucket at the end
of a giant arm
Many catapults work by storing tension either in
twisted ropes or in a flexed piece of wood (in the
same way an archery bow does, but on a larger
scale). When the catapult arm is released, the
tension is released and the arm propels forward
until it hits the crossbar. When the arm hits the
crossbar, the projectile leaves the bucket and
launches forward. This is due to Newton’s first
law which states that objects in motion want to
stay in motion. The projectile is moving at the
same speed as the arm and the bucket and
when they stop, the projectile continues to
move forward at the same velocity it was before.
Gravity brings the projectile back to the ground
which gives it its trajectory.
Science Behind Catapults
A lever is a simple machine that can help lift or
move objects by applying force to gain a
mechanical advantage. Levers have two
important parts: the fulcrum or center of rotation
and the force arm, which is the lever itself.
Questions?
Please email Rebecca Reed at [email protected]
Design Challenge
Plan and create a catapult that will launch
a large marshmallow into a target that is
1 meter in diameter and 2 meters away –
using any of the materials listed below.
Allowed Materials
Up to
15 rubbe
r bands
up to
20 popsic
le sticks
Up to 5 p
la
or 5 2-ou stic bottle lids
nce portio
n
(or a comb
ination of cups
both)
Up to
4 plastic spoons
Up to o
ne mete
r
of
yarn
ins
p
thes
o
l
c
to 8
p
U
Operation Catapult Launch Event
Bring your completed catapult to the
atrium in the Fort Worth Museum of
Science and History for our launch event
on Saturday, February 28th at 1:30 pm.*
* Participation in the launch event is included
with Museum exhibit admission.