Catapult Definition and 83 Threads

TL;DR Summary: I'm trying to solve how far to compress a spring to launch a marble 2-2.5m I currently have a catapult built with a total height of 10 3/8 inches. The catapult tube is angled at 42 degrees and when the set spring inside the catapult is compressed by 1 inch the marble is launched...

Hi there everyone. I am trying to re-engineer a toaster to shoot out pop tarts really high; like 5-6ft high. I've tried a whole lot of different springs of varying sizes and tension, but nothing really seems to be doing the trick. Can get it to shoot about 2 ft, and that is all. It could be the...

TL;DR Summary: In a classic catapult the arm usually meets a cross brace that stops it and helps define the exit angle. This seems a bit wasteful. I have been thinking about making a small catapult for my sons class. In a classic catapult the arm usually meets a cross brace that stops it and...

This is the catapult. At equalibrium the spring is 0.09 meters in length. When its fully stretched out its 0.225 meters long and I place a rock (0.205 kg) close to where my finger is on the catapult. The catapult starts with this much energy because 1/2 * k * x^2 90.54 is the spring constant...

I know the spring constant of my spring, 90.54 n/m The spring is stretched 13.5 cm Im launching of a deck that is 1.75 meters high

https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/284341

My solutions: When ball is launched horizontally, assuming its velocity is entirely in the horizontal dimension, there is no interaction of the ball with the gravitational field, thus no change in GPE, so all of the EPE (elastic potential energy ) of the spring is transferred to KE of the ball...

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Homework Statement A catapult launches a rock with an initial velocity of 50m/s at 35 degrees above the horizontal. The rock must clear 3.5m at 10m away in order to make it over a castle wall to get to the enemy. Do the knights succeed? By how much do they clear the wall or miss clearing the...

A catapult is pulled back 10cm with a force of 30N. How fast does the stone of mass 0.5kg got at maximum speed assuming no air resistance. I have absolutely no idea how to do this... But, I am assuming you use Ek=1/2mv^2, though I can't figure out how to apply it To rearrange that...

[Note from mentor: This was originally posted in a non-homework forum, therefore it does not use the homework template.] we did a lab on catapult but I'm having trouble figuring out the math? i calculated the hangtime, but all i did was take the original time and divide it by 2, is that right...

Hii... can someone explain to me why the electromagnetic wire doesn't experience any motor effect when in parallel to the magnetic field of the permanent magnet? And why does a thicker wire increases the catapult effect? Ty in advance :)

I Have built a catapult for a 1st year engineering assignment, I know catapult are extremely energy inefficient and my theoretical catapult calculations prove that, but i don't know how to calculate the exact energy of my projectile as it hits the ground again, I can measure the projectiles real...

I have built a torsion wheel catapult (Mangonel) for an assignment,and I need to do some theoretical calculations about the displacement, velocity and time of the projectile, the problem is I don't know how to calculate the spring constant without the displacement of the spring (x) and i don't...

Afternoon every one. I am a first year engineering student in NZ, For my midterm break report I have to design and make a catapult that can meet these specifications. - hit one target within a 0.1 m radius of a target that is 1 m away horizontally from the base of the model catapult. - hit one...

Homework Statement Okay, so I am doing a physics investigation and I am supposed to have a theory I can test. I have a catapult I made myself, and I change the force exerted on the rod of the catapult by changing the mass that hangs by a string. It is a seesaw with a hinged mass on one end. I...

So currently i am working on a robot, and i have gone to my physics teacher on how to help me achieve what i want out of it but she was not detailed with her explanation. It is only her second year teaching physics so i don't blame her but this seemed like a good place to put it. So this is for...

Homework Statement For my physics class, I have to design a catapult with specific requirements. The launch angle (in reference to the ground) has to be adjustable, it has to hit specific targets within a range of 3-15 feet (the targets can only be at even distances, so only 4 ft, 6 ft, 14 ft...

Would rotating the throwing arm (2cm by 4cm) to its side reduce air resistance due to the smaller surface area? (Imagine a palm vs karate chop scenario).

<< Mentor Note -- this thread is temporarily being allowed in the technical Engineering forums as long as the OP does the bulk of the work >>[/color] Here's the deal, I have to create a device that can launch ball, that bounces into a target that is 5 meters away. The targets are circular, one...

Hi! I am new to the forum and need a little of help in a science experiment I wanted to ask you which of the following catapult systems will be more accurate and efficient: 1. Weight as the source of energy. The weight at the bottom of the beam moves back, the beam will go forward and the...

For my term project we were challenged to build a catapult that can be adjusted to hit 3 pre-determined targets, and 3 surprise targets. I have come up with a design, but I'm not sure it's the most effiecient materials wise. I also would like some insight on the design.I believe I should stop...

Hello everyone. Not only that I only have High school physics but I don't even remember most of the physics I learned in high school, so when the idea of creating a pop can (354ml aluminium can) launching catapult that can launch the can at a 10 meter hight and 15 meters far came into my head...

I'm doing a catapult project but I'm sort of confused. I need to find the spring constant in order to get the elastic potential energy. The force of pulling back the catapult lever to 36 degrees above the horizontal is 4.2 N. Right before the lever is at rest, 90 degrees, the force is 1.4 N. One...

To calculate the Viy velocity for my marshmallow, what am I supposed to use for delta y? Would it be 0 because my catapult is pulled all the way to ground before I let it go, or would it be the height at which the catapult specifically flings the marshmallow?

Hopefully this is the right place to ask this.. if not really sorry In my class I have to design something to throw a simple small piece of wood.. Everyone is trying to build a catapult.. I am not sure what to build.. a trebuchet or a catapult and what specific design is going to give me the...

Many of you are familiar with the catapult launched profile fuselage gliders that are sold in hobby stores. Since these tend to rather fragile, I am designing gliders with better durability out of card, and also with a full fuselage. These will have a 20 cm wingspan typically. Given that low...

Homework Statement A stone of mass 5 g is projected with a rubber catapult. If the catapult is streched through a distance of 7 cm by an average force of 70 N, calculate the instantaneous velocity of the stone when released. Homework Equations work done in elastic material w = 1/2 fe =...

Does anyone have any cool ideas for a catapult trigger. I plan to have a hook attached to bottom of cup that holds the ball and 2 hooks on the base that when you pull the catapult all the way down and put a nail through all three hooks. There will be a string attached to the nail but I need...

I'm making a catapult in physics. Does anybody have any ideas of something I can install to the catapult to allow me to change the angle of the catapult to any given angle. Also for the trigger mechanism for the catapult what is something cool I could do? I was thinking something to do with...

For grade 12 physics we have built a catapult and it is now our job to determine a few things about it. Its a fixed arm rotating around a lever. It's energy comes from a band stretched when the catapult is wound back. (band is attached to base and onto non-throwing portion of arm) I am just...

Our class was tasked with building a catapult. We built ours based on DaVinci's We have a wheel and axle MA of 8 and a lever MA of 0.108 We used a crank to stretch the cords, is this a machine that should be calculated in?

Hi All I need help with a physics calculation. I have a mass of 3kg that has to be launched for Earth (9.81m/s^2 gravitational acceleration) at an angle of 30 degrees from horizontal from a catapult. The distance the mass can travel in the catapult is 2m. What I need to know is what is...

Homework Statement Determine maximum distance an one ounce projectile can be launched with a torsion spring catapult. Homework Equations E = F * d = 1/2 * m * v02Note: Theta is the measurement of how far the lever arm is being pulled back. Am I missing something?

Homework Statement http://i.minus.com/i725WMEqetlYA.jpg Homework Equations y=Voy * t + 1/2(9.8)t^2 VFy^2=Voy^2 + 2gy Vox=Magnitude(Cos(Angle)) Voy=Magnitude(Sin(Angle)) The Attempt at a Solution No clue

Hi, I have to do a high school project in physics regarding to build a catapult. The catapult must launch a tennis ball 12 meters from the launch line into the trash can. My friends and I are confused on what materials to use in this project and how to exactly make it so it can fit the...

A spring catapult consists of a massless spring and a massless cup. An object of a certain mass is loaded into the cup, the spring is extended to a length L, and the object is launched horizontally. What is the speed of the object? s is the natural length of the spring, L is the length...

I'm building a catapult meant to fire a plastic ball as far as possible with the following items: 36 popsicle sticks, glue, 6 rubber bands, 4 clothes pins, a small stryofoam cup, and 4 feet of string. The ball has a radius of just under an inch, and it is very light. I am not meant to modify...

hi so i had to build a catapult and it's very small, but i need to find the total velocity of the ball upon impact and the maximum height reached. You might need to explain a little bit because I tend to not get things when they are vague so please post more than a formula. Please and thank you...

My current physics project is to design a catapult that will launch a marble to a given distance (between 2-3m). I have successfully made one out of wood, using a bungee cord to snap the arm back after being pulled on. My question is how do I calibrate this properly? Our teacher said we need...

Homework Statement A knight sits on a castle wall during a siege. To while away the time, he notes that boulders catapulted from below land on the top of his wall with a vertical velocity of 9.2 m/s. If he is 40 m above the catapult, what is the initial velocity of the boulders? The...

Homework Statement A catapult fires at an angle of 40.02 and has an initial velocity of 5.463. Find the vertical displacement at t=.38 seconds. I know the following from the problem and logic vo=5.463 t=.3824 g=9.8 angle=40.02 I calcuated the following voy=vosin40.02 voy=3.5133 Homework...

I have an assignment where I have to build a catapult that is able to launch a bean bag any distance between 8-12 metres. My teacher will give me a random distance on the day it's due, and I have to be able to adjust the catapult in order for it to launch that distance. I'm having a bit of a...

Hi Guys hope u r feeling good i just finished my catapult project and the problem is that i have only two given and the problem is that i have only two given values the \Delta T = 1.1 sec.\Delta_{d}x=2.2 m , and the angle is 70' degrees. and nothing else. http://tinypic.com/r/2ylqpux/7 i...

Homework Statement This isn't a homework problem, but I'm trying to do the calculations for a catapult I built to see if its actual performance matches the theoretical performance. I'm stuck trying to map the trajectory of the projectile. Here is the picture for reference...

Homework Statement Catapults date from thousands of years ago, and were used historically to launch everything from stones to horses. During a battle in what is now Bavaria, inventive artillerymen from the united German clans launched giant spaetzle from their catapults toward a Roman...

Homework Statement I'm doing a catapult project and I have to calculate a few pieces of information. The initial velocity of the release (horizontal and vertical components) , the time of the highest point, and velocity of impact of the object. I know how to do all of these except find...

Homework Statement How would you find the energy efficiency of a torsion catapult ? (one i built for project) I have the Force at which I am pulling the arm. F = 20N also the angle from origin to the point of release ( or when the ball leaves the arm) Theta = 50 degrees...

The strain energy of a catapult extended by 1metre is 20J. When x=1m, A 1kg block is catapulted a distance of 2.5metres from the point of release along a horizontal floor. a. What is the magnitude of the force of friction between the block and the floor? b. What is the maximum kintetic...