Launch into Learning: Catapults!
From medieval times to the present day, engineers have designed catapults to launch into the air projectiles as varied as stones and airplanes.Copyright top: http://www.unc.edu/~fluecki/ bottom: 2008 Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans, U.S. Navy http://www.defense.gov/HomePagePhotos/LeadPhotoImage.aspx?id=11289
Students learn about catapults, including the science and math concepts behind them, as they prepare for the associated activity in which they design, build and test their own catapults. They learn about force, accuracy, precision and angles.
Engineers must master the science and math concepts behind a given technology before they can successfully design and build products that meet their clients' needs.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe how force affects the motion of a projectile.
- Explain and compare the meanings of accuracy and precision.
- Explain the optimum angle for launching a projectile the farthest distance (45 degrees).