Justin Higgins

Mrs. Patterson
Honors Conceptual Physics
November 6, 2015
Projectile Motion: Catapult Project
Introduction:
The objective for this project is to create a catapult that can launch a marshmallow five
meters and to better understand and see how the law of physics affect projectiles. I picked the
design of catapult I used because it was easy to make, and I only needed popsicle sticks, rubber
bands, and a spoon to make it. I also thought it would shoot the marshmallow far, but it did not.
Catapults use stored energy to launch a projectile. The three main ways to store this energy are
tension, torsion, and gravity. Tension uses a spring, torsion uses a wound up rope, and gravity
uses a heavy weight. The equations used are called kinematic equations. Kinematic equations use
three of five variables to find a fourth variable. These variables are initial velocity (Vxo or Vyo),
final velocity (Vx or Vy), displacement (x or y), acceleration (Ax or Ay), and time (t).
Catapults were first invented in the Middle Ages to destroy bigger, stronger buildings.
Catapults were large machines on wheels with a basket that was attached to a long arm and a
source of power to throw objects. The first catapult was made around 400 BC in the Greek town
Syracus. The first catapult was not what we would think of it to be. It was very similar to a
crossbow. It was called the Gastraphete. The Gastraphete was eventually upgraded to a bigger,
stronger machine called a Ballista. Throughout the ages, different types of catapults (such as the
trebuchet, onager, and mangonel) were created to defend and attack castles and other buildings.

Design Plan:
This is a list of the materials I used to make my catapult.

15 Rubber Bands
10 Popsicle Sticks
1 Plastic Spoon

Data Analysis:
Distance
2.77 meters
3.16 meters
2.98 meters

Time
0.6 seconds
0.7 seconds
0.48 seconds

Vxo
4.62 m/s
4.51 m/s
6.21 m/s

Vyo
2.94 m/s
3.43 m/s
2.35 m/s

Vo
5.48 m/s
5.67 m/s
6.64 m/s

The average velocity of the marshmallows was 5.93 meters per second.
The initial velocity of each marshmallow fired was found by dividing the distance the
marshmallow traveled by the time it took for the marshmallow to get there. The formula used to
find the horizontal velocity (Vxo) is velocity=distance time . To find the vertical velocity
(Vyo) the formula final velocity =initial velocity+ acceleration(time 2.) With final velocity
at zero and acceleration as 9.8 the vertical velocity can be calculated when you solve for initial
2
2
velocity. The average velocity (Vo) can be calculated using the formula Vo= Vxo +Vyo .

Conclusion:
My project worked by using the rubber bands to hold the spoon straight and still. I would
pull the spoon back, and the springiness from the spoon and the tension created by the rubber
bands flung the marshmallow forward. Some errors that could have affected the distance my
marshmallows traveled could have been caused by how I set up and fired the catapult. If I did not
aim the catapult straight, I would lose distance when the marshmallow goes to the side. If I did
not pull the spoon back as far as possible, I would lose power. Shooting a gun and a baseball
thrown by a pitcher are two examples of projectiles whose landing spots must be carefully
predicted.

Works Cited

"Catapult Physics." Real World Physics Problems. 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Tevanae, Baintighearn Aimiliona. "Catapult History and Modern Day Construction." Midrealm.
Web. 4 Apr. 2016.