Problem:
The problem at hand is a plane has crashed over the Pacific Ocean. Everyone on the plane survives, but now half of the passengers are stranded on an island. There is more than enough food and supplies to last on the island while help is awaited, which can take weeks to months. However, the other half of the passengers are stuck on an online across shark infested waters. The passengers on that island have no access to any food or supplies. To solve the problem, a catapult must be designed to launch a projectile 2 meters away in order to deliver the supplies across the island. Furthermore, only a budget of $30.00 worth of materials including masking tape, popsicle sticks, water bottle caps, rubber bands, paper clips, and glue sticks …show more content…
Instead, potential energy is stored in things like ropes until the catapult is ready to fire, when the energy transfers to the projectile and become kinetic.
The three primary energy storage mechanisms are tension, torsion, and gravity. The catapult has proven to be a very effective weapon during ancient times, capable of inflicting great damage.
The main types of catapults used were the trebuchet, mangonel, onager, and ballista.
Source 2: …show more content…
The position of the launching device when the missile becomes airborne is an important parameter of aiming.
Source 3: https://sites.google.com/site/physicsofcatapults/home/how-a-catapult-works-the-basics
The entire catapulting process depends on the storing of potential energy as tension (of ropes or wooden arm) or gravitational potential energy 5 Steps of Catapulting:
Pull the arm back (rope in case of Ballista)
Place missiles in bucket, sling, or nook
Release potential energy. Work is done on the arm.
Arm collides with with base and is brought to an abrupt stop.
Missiles retain the kinetic energy from the work done on the arm. This kinetic energy launches the missiles at the target.
Possible Solutions (see other page)
Choose a Solution- Preliminary (see other page)
Create and Test Prototype
Observations:
The base proves to be quite strong, so the energy is evenly distributed
The catapult is not very large, so it needs to have a mechanism to create more power from the rubber bands
Lashing multiple rubber bands together was a good idea, as they provide enough tension but are not too tight to inhibit arm
The problem at hand is a plane has crashed over the Pacific Ocean. Everyone on the plane survives, but now half of the passengers are stranded on an island. There is more than enough food and supplies to last on the island while help is awaited, which can take weeks to months. However, the other half of the passengers are stuck on an online across shark infested waters. The passengers on that island have no access to any food or supplies. To solve the problem, a catapult must be designed to launch a projectile 2 meters away in order to deliver the supplies across the island. Furthermore, only a budget of $30.00 worth of materials including masking tape, popsicle sticks, water bottle caps, rubber bands, paper clips, and glue sticks …show more content…
Instead, potential energy is stored in things like ropes until the catapult is ready to fire, when the energy transfers to the projectile and become kinetic.
The three primary energy storage mechanisms are tension, torsion, and gravity. The catapult has proven to be a very effective weapon during ancient times, capable of inflicting great damage.
The main types of catapults used were the trebuchet, mangonel, onager, and ballista.
Source 2: …show more content…
The position of the launching device when the missile becomes airborne is an important parameter of aiming.
Source 3: https://sites.google.com/site/physicsofcatapults/home/how-a-catapult-works-the-basics
The entire catapulting process depends on the storing of potential energy as tension (of ropes or wooden arm) or gravitational potential energy 5 Steps of Catapulting:
Pull the arm back (rope in case of Ballista)
Place missiles in bucket, sling, or nook
Release potential energy. Work is done on the arm.
Arm collides with with base and is brought to an abrupt stop.
Missiles retain the kinetic energy from the work done on the arm. This kinetic energy launches the missiles at the target.
Possible Solutions (see other page)
Choose a Solution- Preliminary (see other page)
Create and Test Prototype
Observations:
The base proves to be quite strong, so the energy is evenly distributed
The catapult is not very large, so it needs to have a mechanism to create more power from the rubber bands
Lashing multiple rubber bands together was a good idea, as they provide enough tension but are not too tight to inhibit arm