Catapult (British Columbia)

Masters of the catapult: Attack!

Become a modern-day knight. This workshop gives youths the opportunity to learn about different types of simple machines (lever, winch, gear, inclined plane, etc.,) and the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Their knowledge will be tested over two challenges: aiming for the centre of the target using a crossbow and destroying castles with a ballista and catapult trigger.  Now it’s your turn!

Objectives at the elementary level:

Build a catapult that works.

• Properly use simple machines (lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley, winch and wheel).
• Describe the energy transformations that act on a body (potential energy into kinetic energy).
• Consider the constraints on project completion (time, teamwork and implementation challenges).
• Be able to read building instructions and recognize all the pieces needed for construction.

Objectives at the secondary level:

• Design and build a catapult that works.
• Understand the relationship between potential energy, mass, gravitational acceleration and motion.
• Identify simple machines in the structure of catapults.