Team Name – Catapult
Class Period - PHYSICS
Your name
Date
Abstract: Answer the following questions in paragraph form.
Para 1: Why did we do this lab?
Para 2: How did you and your team come up with the design of your catapult?
Para 3: What did you like about this lab and why?
Objectives: List 5-10 purposes for this lab (i.e. 1. To calculate force)
Equipment: List materials used
Safety Rules: List at least 5 rules of safety for this project
Procedure:
1. Give step by step how to build the catapult
2. Explain how to work the catapult
Data: Create a data table with the following information
Data needed
Horizontal
distance
Time travelled
Angle of
catapult
Test trial at
home
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average for
trials
Calculations: give equations and solve
What to calculate
Height of trajectory =
∆𝑥
( 4 ) 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃
Launching initial
𝑔∆𝑥
𝑠𝑖𝑛2𝜃
velocity = √
Equation
Height = (horizontal
distance travelled
divided by 4) times
tangent of the catapult
angle
Square root of (
(gravity times the
horizontal distance
travelled) divided by
(sin of 2(angle of the
catapult)))
Plug in
Solve with answer
Results:
1. list who is in your group and what each person did,
2. list 3 things you and your group learned by doing this project,
3. Attach 2- 6 pictures of your group throughout this project (building, working, and group photo
with completion of catapult)
Conclusions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
compare and contrast speed and acceleration,
Compare and contrast force and acceleration.
Explain how to use the kinematic equations.
Draw the projectile motion created by your catapult. Label. Calculate the height achieved by
your catapult.
5. Draw the catapult ball and label all the forces involved (do a free body diagram)
6. Discuss all 3 Newton’s Laws and how they specifically applied to your project.
Discussions: answer the following questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
List at least 5 observations made during the experiment
List 3 potential sources of error and how could you have reduced that error.
How was force utilized in this project?
How was acceleration important to this project?
Did you like this project? Why or why not?
Describe the historical development of force and motion and how it was used in your
catapult.
7. How does physics help YOU in your life now?
8. How will physics help YOU in your life in the future?