MARSHMALLOW CATAPULTS

“The Engineering Process” in designing and constructing. It includes the

following steps:

1. Brainstorm2. Design3. Build/prototype (a prototype is a model of the first design)4. Test5. Redesign 

1. Projectile placed in the cradle at the end of the catapult's arm

2. The arm is pulled back, creating tension on an elastic restraint

3. This built up potential energy is released and does work on the arm and therefore on the projectile

4. The projectile gains kinetic energy as the arm accelerates forward

5. The arm is brought to an abrupt halt

6. The projectile retrains kinetic energy and launches from the cradle

The Catapult: Step-by-Step

http://www.redstoneprojects.com/trebuchetstore/catapultanimation.html

Potential EnergyStored in the rubber

band or string

Kinetic Energyenergy created by

movement of the arm

Projectile

trajectory

Abrupt halt

tension

cradle

Vocabulary

Potential Energy - stored energy--energy ready to goEx: A car at the top of a hill

Kinetic Energy – energy that is released, in motionEx: A car rolling down a hill

Trajectory - the path that a thrown or launched projectile will take under the action of gravity, not taking into account all other forces, such as friction from air resistance, without propulsion.

Projectile - A fired, thrown, or otherwise propelled object, having no capacity for self-propulsion.

Range – how far a projectile will travel