Sean McCarthy

11/12/15
Period 7
Projectile Motion: Catapults

Introduction
Objective:
The objective of this project was to build a catapult. That catapult had to be capable of
shooting a marshmallow between 4.9 and 5.9 meters. It is hypothesized that the catapult will
successfully launch a marshmallow into the zone at least one of the three times.
History:
Catapults have been around for centuries. Created by the ancient Greeks, catapults
survived through medieval times, and the still are talked about (though often not used) today.
These ancient machines are ballistic weapons that throw rocks or other large items. The idea for
catapults came when the Greeks needed to fire large rocks without the aid of explosive devices.
So they designed an arm that was able to hurl large items at castles and other buildings.
Design:
This design was used for its simplicity and power. While not using any materials more
than Popsicle sticks and a binder clip, this catapult was able to successfully shoot the
marshmallow four meters.

Laws of Physics:
The way this catapult works is as follows: The user pulls back the top popsicle stick, and
then releases. The built up pressure from the binder clip launches the marshmallow from the
launch pad located on the top portion of the catapult. The equation used is F=MA for force
equals mass times acceleration.

Design Plan
Materials:

popsicle sticks
Large binder clip
Zip ties
Paper clip

Diagram:

Data Analysis
Data Table:

Distance

Time

Vx0

V0

3m

.71 s

4.2 m/s

5.86 m/s

5m

.81 s

6.1 m/s

5.12 m/s

5.2 m

.46 s

11.3 m/s

5.51 m/s

Average Velocity:
The average velocity of the three trials was 5.86 m/s
Initial Velocity:
Initial velocity was determined by the formula V= D/T
Conclusion
Success:
The catapult built for this project was successful in its attempts to launch a marshmallow
into the designated area. In this case the hypothesis was correct. The first trial however failed,
and a possible reason for this was the launch-pad on the catapult had no walls on the side, and
this may have caused the marshmallow to shoot off target.
Learned:
From this project, I learned that you dont always need the biggest [catapult] to achieve
your goal. Sometimes simplicity is an easier and more reliable route to take.

Examples:
There are a few instances in real-life in which a projectiles landing spot must be carefully
predicted. A more prominent real-life example, is that of an airplane. If the plane lands too far to
the left or right of the target (runway), it will crash. Another real-life example is sky diving. If the
diver is not careful about where he/she lands, the diver could land somewhere dangerous such as
a highway, or get stuck on a building.