SLINGSHOT

The Structure and its Concept

In this Activity, we kind of had a hard time making our slingshot flexible and easy to shoot.
Compared to other groups, ours is quite a failure in shooting it as far as we can. But in the end of
the activity, we have made things cleared up.

First, the structure of our slingshot is different from others. There is an unproportional
weight coming from the massive head part of the straw. It was filled with paper for about the first
half-inch of the straw and multiple knots of rubber. A tape was filled around it for it to be smooth
in colliding on other surfaces. The slingshot didn’t do better because the head is so heavy. Since
the slingshot represents a projectile motion at high speed, the value of our mass is not proportional
to the acceleration due to gravity and that’s why it quickly dropped into the ground.

And lastly, the rubber band used. Slingshot physics involves the use of stored elastic energy
to shoot a projectile at high speed. This elastic energy comes from rubber bands which are specially
made for slingshots. This energy is provided initially by the muscle energy of the slingshot
operator. We used two common rubber bands, connected to each other for higher value of potential
energy and thus, caused for a high kinetic energy. It’s just hard for the rubber to exert so much
force to make the straw fly at a long distance.

We have noticed that when pulling back on the rubber bands the draw force increases as
the draw distance increases, just like when a spring is stretched. Ideally we want the maximum
draw force of the person operating the slingshot to be at the point at which his/her draw length is
a maximum.This results in the maximum amount of energy stored in the rubber bands (provided
by the slingshot operator), and therefore results in the most powerful shot. To achieve this ideal
situation a rubber band made of appropriately selected material would have to be used which
matches the strength limits of the slingshot operator. However, this is not necessarily practical.

Please refer to the diagram for a visual representation of the slingshot.

DOCUMENTATION
Slingshot Activity
NARRATIVE
REPORT
BRIDGE // BARGE // SLINGSHOT

Group 4 STEM 12-Edison

GUILLERMO, Ivan
MAGPANTAY, Charris Anne
MANLUNAS, Cherry Mae
NALLICA, Sofia Claire
PADILLA, Gio
TESORO, Vinson Andreic

Mr. Ravinal C. Ravis Jr.

September 13, 2019