Catapult Guide to Inquiry
1. Make a diagram of your catapult and attach to your final project. Label the
following on your diagram:
a. The point of greatest kinetic energy
b. The point of greatest potential energy
c. Where the potential energy transforms to kinetic energy
d. Title of catapult
2. What form of energy is used in a catapult?
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3. How did you increase the accuracy of your catapult?
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4. What kind of changes increased the distance the catapult launched the
marshmallow?
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5. Why did these changes increase the distance?
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6. Do a little mathYour catapult is a simple machine, a lever. In moving a marshmallow your
catapult is doing work. Identify the class of lever that your catapult falls in.
Calculate the work being done by your catapult and the mechanical
advantage of your machine.
My catapult is a ________ class lever.
a. MA= Effort arm length / Resistance arm length
Length of effort arm ______________ cm
Length of resistance arm _____________ cm
Mechanical advantage ______________