The Trebuchet Project
For are first project of the year, we studied projectile motion considering what and how different situation change projectile motion. To see projectile motion in action we did the only thing that was sensible… We built a medieval siege weapon known as a trebuchet and launched organic matter into a field. A trebuchet employs the use of a counter weight, which falls, and throws an arm up around a central pivot; the arm then snaps forward and launches a projectile forward. To begin the project we all divided into groups and designed prototypes, constructed prototypes, redesigned prototypes and tried again (if they failed). Then we designed real trebuchets using what we had learned for the prototypes. Following the design we constructed the siege weapons and had an exhibition to demonstrate our ability to siege a castle.
We designed our trebuchet to employ a swinging counter weight and a sling. We did this to try to maximize the range we could throw apples. A swinging counter weight is a variant standard counterweight; rather than having the weight directly attached to the arm we had our weight swinging from a rope attached to the arm. This approach, in theory, should increase the acceleration of the arm, making it move faster because instead of dragging down the arm it would fall and snap the arm forward. Thus, instead of the arm moving slowly before firing, it would slam forward, thus launching the projectile further. Our trebuchet was also equipped with a sling, which was not rare in medieval times; in fact it was common. We were one of the three groups in our class to use a sling. With a sling there is more potential energy stored up so when the weight is dropped, the acceleration of the object is increased. All of this combined to make our projectile motion farther then almost all other trebuchets. There are more ways to increase the projectile motion of such a siege weapon, but our research led us to the conclusion that our method would be the most successful option.
Despite some disagreement during the project, I would say that for the most part our group worked very well together and was able to employ the 21st century skills we have been show this year. The one area I felt we lacked in was our communication during the project; a lot of time was wasted when one of us did not know what to do or was working of something irrelevant because of a break down in communication. Another thing lacking in our project was successful creativity; during the project there were plenty of times we were over-confident or downright stubborn about or ideas, and making them work. The over confidence disrupted our critical thinking skills and our egos got in the way. For instance, we directly tried to copy the sling on another trebuchet because we did not know how to get are working. Overall, as I said before, we worked really well together, and our collaboration was really key to our success, giving us a step up on all the groups who could not come together and work with each other.
Are weakness, our kryptonite, during this project was making things practical, and translating our design to the real world. I think we as a group were more made up of white collars rather than blue collars. We had the design and knowhow but we didn’t know who was actually going to do it. Because of these issues we really struggled with the due date, and finished our trebuchet just the day before the exhibition. On a smaller scale, here are some examples of where we struggled. First, we had a hard time constructing the frame, and had a lot of unproductive days until we finely just did it. Then as if to punish us for hastening the construction of the frame, it was unstable, and we just did not understand what to do about it. Finally, we kind of fixed the problem, kind of. The third and final area of challenge was the counter weight--it broke… well @^(^%!@ (we panicked), we problem solved, and problem solved, until we looked at another trebuchet and used their idea. I don't quite know how, but we did somehow get a working trebuchet to the exhibition
As far as what I brought to my team I believe that I brought a combination of things. I don't really want to brand myself as the leader of the group because I don't think that's true, but I did act at points like one in the way I helped diffuse tense situations between team mates, and took the initiative. I believe at some points I was over-controlling; I did not want to be, but I was. However, for the most part I think I helped in a positively in the following ways: to start the trebuchet, do the drilling, help finding a way to get the sling working, and fixing the counter weigh. I think I was kind of a bridge between Zane, and Sailer, given how they clashed with each now and then. Over all I think I was a force for good in my group, and helped us succeed.
To conclude I would just like to say how much I enjoyed this project, and was excited ever day to go to physics class to Trebuchet. I believe it was a well taught project giving us just enough freedom in what we did that we could fall, but making it so that we could stand back up. Over all I had very little to no criticism of the project and would give it 10/10 dinosaurs.
We designed our trebuchet to employ a swinging counter weight and a sling. We did this to try to maximize the range we could throw apples. A swinging counter weight is a variant standard counterweight; rather than having the weight directly attached to the arm we had our weight swinging from a rope attached to the arm. This approach, in theory, should increase the acceleration of the arm, making it move faster because instead of dragging down the arm it would fall and snap the arm forward. Thus, instead of the arm moving slowly before firing, it would slam forward, thus launching the projectile further. Our trebuchet was also equipped with a sling, which was not rare in medieval times; in fact it was common. We were one of the three groups in our class to use a sling. With a sling there is more potential energy stored up so when the weight is dropped, the acceleration of the object is increased. All of this combined to make our projectile motion farther then almost all other trebuchets. There are more ways to increase the projectile motion of such a siege weapon, but our research led us to the conclusion that our method would be the most successful option.
Despite some disagreement during the project, I would say that for the most part our group worked very well together and was able to employ the 21st century skills we have been show this year. The one area I felt we lacked in was our communication during the project; a lot of time was wasted when one of us did not know what to do or was working of something irrelevant because of a break down in communication. Another thing lacking in our project was successful creativity; during the project there were plenty of times we were over-confident or downright stubborn about or ideas, and making them work. The over confidence disrupted our critical thinking skills and our egos got in the way. For instance, we directly tried to copy the sling on another trebuchet because we did not know how to get are working. Overall, as I said before, we worked really well together, and our collaboration was really key to our success, giving us a step up on all the groups who could not come together and work with each other.
Are weakness, our kryptonite, during this project was making things practical, and translating our design to the real world. I think we as a group were more made up of white collars rather than blue collars. We had the design and knowhow but we didn’t know who was actually going to do it. Because of these issues we really struggled with the due date, and finished our trebuchet just the day before the exhibition. On a smaller scale, here are some examples of where we struggled. First, we had a hard time constructing the frame, and had a lot of unproductive days until we finely just did it. Then as if to punish us for hastening the construction of the frame, it was unstable, and we just did not understand what to do about it. Finally, we kind of fixed the problem, kind of. The third and final area of challenge was the counter weight--it broke… well @^(^%!@ (we panicked), we problem solved, and problem solved, until we looked at another trebuchet and used their idea. I don't quite know how, but we did somehow get a working trebuchet to the exhibition
As far as what I brought to my team I believe that I brought a combination of things. I don't really want to brand myself as the leader of the group because I don't think that's true, but I did act at points like one in the way I helped diffuse tense situations between team mates, and took the initiative. I believe at some points I was over-controlling; I did not want to be, but I was. However, for the most part I think I helped in a positively in the following ways: to start the trebuchet, do the drilling, help finding a way to get the sling working, and fixing the counter weigh. I think I was kind of a bridge between Zane, and Sailer, given how they clashed with each now and then. Over all I think I was a force for good in my group, and helped us succeed.
To conclude I would just like to say how much I enjoyed this project, and was excited ever day to go to physics class to Trebuchet. I believe it was a well taught project giving us just enough freedom in what we did that we could fall, but making it so that we could stand back up. Over all I had very little to no criticism of the project and would give it 10/10 dinosaurs.