The trebuchet is a medieval siege weapon that was used to hurl rocks over an enemy wall. However, its basic design has been recently rediscovered since the Middle Ages. In fact, the trebuchet has begun to exist in abundance in several places. For example, people have taken it up as a hobby to build and some colleges, such as West Point, it has used it in engineering courses. As I researched for this report, I found many personal web sites for building trebuchets. There were several photos of trebuchets of all sizes. You may see some made of wood or even Lego’s! (See some pictures on last page)Misconceptions of the Trebuchet Usually a trebuchet is referred to as a catapult and there is a great difference. A catapult makes use of tension to operate it-using twisted ropes to move the arm forward. It then stop short as it slams against a stopper and the object is released. The trebuchet allows a greater amount of energy transfer to the object, or projectile and is more efficient.History of the Trebuchet Among all the siege weapons upon the Middle Age battlefield, the trebuchet was the ultimate weapon. It came into existence in the 12th century in Western Europe. It was made before the invention of gunpowder and was a technique to hit an enemy at a distance.
There were basically three different models- traction machines, counterweighted machines and other hybrid types. The traction machines were operated with the power of as many as 200 men pulling on ropes- the crew of men would pull on the shorter end of the balance arm, while the other side would contain the sling and the projectile. There would be a sling holder to hang from the sling, that excess weight would cause the flexing of the beam. (See picture A) While the fixed counterweight machine used the falling of a large mass on one side to fling the object. The pulling ropes of the men could be removed and a trough was built in. This helped increase the range because the sling was longer. (See picture B) Another counter weight machine was the “Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet”. The counter weight was able to be hinged and that improved the conversion of gravitational energy to the movement energy of the projectile. The center of gravity in the weight had fell straight down and the hinge straightened as well. The transfer of energy thus was increased since the weight went about its center of gravity. The hinge also helped decrease the strain on the mechanism, since the hinge kept rotating; the beam was slowly stopped.
The Essay on What Is A Trebuchet?
The best way to start an experiment is to ask a question. Our question is, “What is a trebuchet?” In answering this question, we will investigate nearly every aspect of a trebuchet, including but not limited to history, design, build, and theory. Our experiment was started with the help of a packet which contained much of this information, therefore the only thing that needed to be completed was ...
This model was also efficient because the device did not need to be reset into position after each shot. (See picture C) As for the “Hinged & Propped Counterweight Trebuchet”, it had increased the distance for the center of gravity in the weight and the pivot of the beam. It basically was different from the trebuchet in picture C, because the hinged weight was propped at an angle before firing. That allowed the projectile to have a greater distance to fall and the transfer of energy was once again increased. (See picture D) However, the hybrid was a combination of the other two models. The trebuchet also helped bring about several other inventions. This device has advanced our studies and knowledge of materials and concepts of everyday physics. It transformed the design of castles and alternated the early concepts of the pendulum. It also helped Leonardo Da Vinci invent a gadget that was using the trebuchet to keep time. However, the greatest donation it has given is in the field of physics. It was discovered through Jordanus of Nemore and was used through his studies. His work was about a “vector proportional to the mass and vertical decent.” He also used the trebuchet to help explain the concept of a motion vector, or the magnitude and direction given to a force vector.
The Essay on Force And Perfectly Elastic Question
Question no 9) A package is dropped from a helicopter moving upward at 15m/s If it takes16 sec before the package strikes the ground, how high above the ground was the package when it was released if air resistance is negligible? Ans) 1000m Question no. 11) If A -B = 0, then the vectors A and B have equal magnitudes and are directed in the opposite directions from each other. Ans) False Question ...
Many people use the trebuchet to show experimental representations of how potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Mathematical Model -Trebuchet The trebuchet is used as an experiment for many courses in school. It has good use in physics, engineering along with mathematics. The trebuchet has two moving parts, the sling and the beam. Therefore, there are two equations that are used to describe the motion of these two movable components. These equations are based on Newton’s second law, which is [force = mass x acceleration]. The force is substituted by the weights of the counterweight, beam and sling. The acceleration value is substituted by the rotational acceleration of the beam and sling. The dimensions of the beam, sling, weight and projectile are the other values to put in. In the equations, the friction and air drag are ignored to avoid complexities. One team that has worked upon this problem, is the West Point team. They had computed the angle of rotation every 0.1second and as a result were able to come up with an animation of the throwing process. This is only one educational use of the trebuchet.
Counter-Weight Trebuchet Theory However, besides the mathematical use, there is the practical use. The original purpose of the trebuchet, a more stable invention then a catapult. It uses a large mass as a counterweight on one end of an arm, to rotate that arm causing an object on the other end-by the sling, to be flung. Steps to operate a Trebuchet (Diagrams provided from Grey Company Trebuchet website) There are a few basic steps to work a trebuchet. This first diagram represents a trebuchet after the trigger has just been released.1) At this point the sling that encompasses the projectile is sliding backwards along the launch trough. The trough is a path that guides the sling and sets it in place so it will not tangle up in the framework of the device. The arrows show the direction the sliding force is following. The direction it flows in is horizontal and the speed built up during this part of the launch helps the rate at which it will be flung. The beam of the trebuchet is pulled down close to being vertical, in order for the weight to have a greater distance to fall. It also gives the sling the pull that is horizontal. The sling may also not be too long or else the beam cannot pull the sling up to fling the object.
The Essay on Projectile Motion 3
I. Introduction In this lab the main focus was projectile motion. A projectile is an object flying through the air that is only under the force of gravity (neglecting air resistance). A projectile moves both horizontally and vertically, which creates a parabolic flight path. In vertical projectile motion there is a constant velocity since there are no forces in the horizontal direction (neglecting ...
The sling should be a little less then the length of the throwing arm (beam).2) This second diagram is showing the sling as it has just slightly risen off the path. The beam has begun to rotate, and as it rotates the sling is pulled down the trough and lifted up into the air with the projectile. Any weight connected to the sling is going to be pulled and swung about by the centrifugal force.3) The third diagram is the point in which the sling is released. If the release gadget on your trebuchet is a ring on a hook, it will be released as the angle between the sling and beam are straight enough for the ring to slip off the hook. The velocity of the swing of the sling can effect the point at which it is released. If the sling is rotated faster, the release is earlier and therefore the arc in which it swings is higher. However, if the sling is rotated slower, the release is later and the arc in which it swings is flatter.4) The last figure is the trebuchet after it has completed its procedure. This model made use of a free-swinging weight. Conclusion The trebuchet could also demonstrate as a distance magnifier. The projectile is on one end of the long arm and the weight is at the short end on the other side of the pivot.
This shows a magnification of the small distance by the pivot to a long distance in which the projectile travels. Therefore it proves the force from the counterweight is applied to the projectile over a distance. Another fact of the trebuchet is that the longer time the force was applied to the projectile, the farther it flew. I have learned that this device the “trebuchet” is quite difficult to build. I had attempted to build a small model and realized the many intricacies of the device. This report also taught me about the centrifugal force and how force along with time can affect distance of a projectile. It is quite interesting to also think that what we now use as a device for experimentation was once a deadly war weapon.
The Essay on Projectile Motion Lab Report
The purpose of Lab Assignment 1 was to analyze projectile motion. In doing so, we determined the initial velocity of the ball shot horizontally from the spring loaded projectile launcher. Also, we verified the angle at which the projection of the ball would produce a maximum range. Lastly, we predicted the range that a ball would travel at a certain angle, theta. Projectile motion is the motion of ...
