CATAPULT
By Samuel David And Jorge
Andres
PHYSICS BEHIND THE
CATAPULT
The physics behind a
catapult can be explained
using Newton’s laws of
motion. The first law states
that an object at rest will
remain at rest unless acted
upon by a force. In the case
of a catapult, the force
comes from the tension in
the rope or spring that is
used to launch the
projectile.
SECOND LAW OF MOTION
01
THIRD LAW OF MOTION
02
The second law of
motion states that the
force required to
accelerate an object is
equal to its mass
multiplied by its
acceleration. In the case
of a catapult, the force
required to accelerate
the projectile comes
from the tension in the
rope or spring.
The third law of motion
states that for every
action, there is an equal
and opposite reaction. In
the case of a catapult, the
force that propels the
projectile forward is equal
and opposite to the force
that propels the arm of
the catapult backward.
WHAT IS A
CATAPULT?
A catapult is a simple machine that
uses the principles of physics to
launch an object. The basic idea
behind a catapult is to use a lever and
a projectile to achieve a greater force
than is possible by simply throwing
the object by hand.
KEY TO SUCCESS!
CATAPULT
The key to the success of a catapult is
to use the tension in the rope or
spring to store potential energy.
When the rope or spring is released,
the potential energy is converted into
kinetic energy, which propels the
projectile forward. The amount of
energy that is transferred to the
projectile depends on several factors,
including the strength of the tension
in the rope or spring, the mass of the
projectile, and the angle at which it is
launched.
SUMMARY
In summary, a catapult works
by using the principles of
physics, including Newton’s
laws of motion, to store
potential energy in a spring
or rope and then convert it
into kinetic energy to launch a
projectile.