Play Catapult

Students will build a catapult to learn about motion and the forces acting upon the projectile. Catapults were used in history to launch a projectile that smashed buildings and walls during a siege. These weapons of war will now teach students about the forces involved in moving a projectile or acting upon the projectile to put it in motion and the energy required to do so.

Instructions

A Popsicle Stick Catapult

1 Glue together one whole Popsicle stick to one half Popsicle stick to form an L. Repeat the process to make another L. Glue the two Ls together to form a rectangle.
2 Make two more Ls from Step 1's instructions and glue them together to form another rectangle. Lay one rectangle on top of the other and glue them together to form the base of the catapult.
3 Mark the middle of the rectangle on both sides with a pen.
4 Glue two half sticks flat side down to your pen marks. These half sticks form uprights that are perpendicular to the foundation. The two uprights should be directly across from each other.
5 Glue a half stick to the foundation near the corner flat side down, with the other end gluing to the upright. This forms a triangle and act as a brace. Repeat this with the other side so the braces are across from each other.
6 Glue another half piece on the other side of your triangular braces. This will glue to each upright crossing the upright and forming a crosspiece. The piece is flat side down.
7 Fold your 1 1/2-inch square piece of paper in half. Roll the half together to form a cone. Cut the top of the cone in half.
8 Smash the bottom of the cone onto a whole Popsicle stick and glue it to the stick at the end. This is the throwing arm. The cup you just made is where the projectile rests.
9 Fold the piece of string in half, placing the ends in your mouth or have a friend hold onto it. Twist the string 10 to 20 times.
10 Fold the string in half again and secure the ends. Twist again 10 to 20 times.
11 Fold the string in half again and repeat the twisting process. You now have a strong twisted rope.
12 Thread the rope between the two full sticks under the cross pieces. Tie in place around the top stick with a square knot or double overhand knot. Move the knot to the side. The rope will go across the foundation to the other side, loop over the top part of the foundation and rest under the cross bar.
13 Use the last half piece of Popsicle stick as a twister. Stick the flat end between the ropes. Twist backwards away from the uprights the desired amount of times.
14 When the twister is as tight as desired, glue the throwing arm to the twister. Glue the non cup side to the twister and tightly hold while the glue sets. The cup should be upright and facing the uprights when completed. If done correctly, the arm should smack against the upright when done.
15 Hold the arm down. Put a projectile in the cup and release. Use the wadded up paper for a projectile.

---

• 

  Fun Science Experiments : How to Build a Catapult - YouTube

  www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVvmeh6k6k
  Building a catapult is simple, using a block of wood as a base, a plastic spoon as the arm, two push pins and a rubber band as the torsion energy. Assemble ...
• 

  How To Build A CatapultCatapult Building Tips

  learntobuildcatapults.com
  Learn How To Build A Catapult With My Step-By-Step System. Build A Working Catapult And Have Fun Doing It. Start Building Your Catapult Today!
• 

  How to Build a Submarine for a Kids Science Project eHow

  www.ehow.com Science & Nature Science
  How to Build a Submarine for a Kids Science Project. Submarines work on principles of buoyancy. They don't sink completely because there is still air trapped inside ...
• 

  How to Build a Catapult - glassvisage on HubPages

  glassvisage.hubpages.com Outdoor Games
  Learn about the different types of catapults, which type suits your needs best, and the steps to build a small catapult.
• 

  How to Build a catapult out of rubber bands & a wire hanger ...

  science.wonderhowto.com/how-to/build-catapult-out-rubber-bands...
  In this tutorial, we learn how to build a catapult out of rubber bands & a wire hanger. To do this, you will first need: one wire hanger, plastic spoon, rubber bands ...
• 

  How to Build a popsicle catapult Construction Toys

  construction-toys.wonderhowto.com/how-to/build-popsicle-catapult...
  How to Build a popsicle catapult. This video demonstrates how to make a catapult out of popsicle sticks. For this project, you will need the following: 7 rubber ...
• 

  How to Build a Catapult for a School Project eHow

  www.ehow.com Hobbies, Games & Toys Toys Educational Toys
  Building a catapult for a school project is a fun way to explore history and physics. There are many different types of catapult you can make, from a plastic spoon ...
• 

  how to build a kids catapult - jimmythejock on HubPages

  jimmythejock.hubpages.com Arms and Weapons History
  HOW TO BUILD A CATAPULT . A catapult was a medieval rocket launcher it was used to hurl stones rocks and even tar covered rocks which had been set alight,they were ...
• 

  How to Build a Catapult Easy to Build Catapult Plans and Trebuchet ...

  howtobuildcatapults.com
  Our easy to build catapult plans and trebuchet plans take the guess work and frustration out of the project. From shopping for materials, through firing and tuning ...
• 

  How to Build a Catapult for a School Project? - Ask.com

  www.ask.com Q&A Society Other
  In order to build a catapult you will need wood, screws, and rubber bands. Now you will make a base out of wood with a wooden hand that will be able to move. You