My Fabulous Catapult

When I started off to make my mouse trap catapult, I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest. It took me three different models to figure out what works the best, and what doesn’t work. My first mouse trap catapult consisted of a spoon duck taped on to the metal bar. Easy and simple I thought. However when I did a test run, the spoon was way too flimsy on the metal bar, and it was also very hard to set the trap and release it, without getting your fingers caught. The next model I made I de attached the trigger arm and mechanism from the trap, so that I would just have to pull it back and release. But again, the spoon would fly off, and snap when the trap was released. And the trap was hard to hold down and keep flat on the ground. My final catapult was the second one however, I added “stoppers” (erasers duct taped on) at the end of the trap, so when released, the spoon won’t snap back onto the ground, and to make it easier to set.  Also, I reinforced the spoon with Popsicle sticks so I could not worry about the spoon flying off with the ping pong ball. Finally, I elevated the mouse trap on a 1ft box and secured the trap down on to the box. This helps the ping pong ball travel further, as well as prevents the mouse trap from flipping on itself after being released. My mouse trap I would say is more like a simple mangonel. It consists of a “bucket” area, an arm and instead of winding and releasing a string; the mouse trap spring provides the force. Finally, I had to make sure that my catapult was up to par on the appearance department, so I decorated it with zebra print duct tape, a pink spoon, bows, and a glittery base.
 

History Of Catapults

      Catapults have been one of the earliest and most efficient weapons in siege warfare dating back to 390 BC. Most of us picture catapults being used in the Middle Ages, as an enemy is trying to take down a castle. But, before catapults advanced, the ancient civilizations of the Greeks, and Roman first came up with the idea and early models. The word Catapult is derived from the Greek words, “kata” meaning downward, and “pultos” meaning shield. The weapon was basically used to penetrate your enemy’s defensive line. In Ancient Greece and Rome, their version of a catapult started off as a handheld weapon, similar to the crossbow. This developed into a larger version that was a huge standing wooden structure, called a Ballista. This type of catapult is used to shoot large arrows, with great accuracy. However, these weapons were inconvenient to assemble on a battle field, as well as not extremely powerful. Eventually, the Romans built a more powerful catapult that we would typically picture as what a catapult looks like. This weapon was called the Mangonel, which could throw heavy stones longer distances, to break down forts. This weapon was introduced and used during the Middle Ages, as fortified castles were being built. The Mangonel has a long wooden arm were the “ammo” would be placed, then pulled back so the machines tension was tight, then it would be released and fire the objects at its target. The last main type of catapult is the most powerful, called the Trebuchet. This catapult was most commonly used during the middle ages but historians can trace it back to 2001 BC in China. Catapults were one of the first modern day methods of biological warfare in the Middle Ages, where the attackers would throw bodies with diseases over castle walls. I also find it interesting that we still used Catapults in the WWI to throw grenades from trenches into no man’s land. We also even still occasionally use aircraft catapults which help launch planes into the air if the run way is too short. Catapults are a very interesting and unique mechanism that operates on basic physics.

 

 

This Photo is a sketch of what an Ballista would look like.







 



Above is an animation and diagram of what a typical Mangonel would look like.






 



The last two photos are examples of a Trebuchet.

What I want to learn in Honors Physics.

     I can't wait this year for honors physics there are so many things I want to learn about! First of, I would love to learn about the History of Physics and everyone who has contributed to the field. I think that by knowing this, it helps you understand everything more, and also makes the class more interesting. Second, I have always been interested in kinematics, and real world application problems.  Finally, I expect to have a fun time in honors physics, between doing labs, listening to lectures, and learning. 

Katie Williams