Catapult Maker Challenge

Engineering

Overview
The first recorded catapult was in ancient Greece around 399, B.C., catapults were
used in battle to defeat walls and attack settlements, but in modern times we can
use them for something else! Catapults are very useful to learn STEM concepts,
particularly Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion: an object at rest stays at rest unless acted
upon by an outside force; force is equal to the change in momentum per change in
time, and for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. How can you see
some of these laws in action with the catapult? Playing with the catapult also
provides an opportunity to observe gravity, kinetic energy, and potential energy. Will
the weight of the projectile make a difference in how far it travels or how fast it falls
to the ground?
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Materials
● Popsicle Sticks

● Rubber Bands

● Mini Cups

● Plastic Spoons

● Clothes Pins

● Pipe Cleaners

● Washi Tape

● Play-Doh

Projectiles
● Bouncy Ball

● Pom Pom

● Candy

The Problem
You need to move some materials from one place to another with the help of a
simple machine. Keeping what you know about force and motion in mind, your
challenge is to design the catapult that will move your materials the farthest.
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The Goal
Build a catapult with the supplies in your kit or anything else available to you, that
will launch the projectiles as far as possible. You may design the catapult in any way
you’d like. Think about which projectile has the potential to go the farthest in
distance.

Design
Keep in mind:

● What is your design goal?

● How much force will your design require for a successful launch?

● What angle launches the object the farthest?

● Which projectile launches the farthest?

● After testing, can you make changes to your design?

Make a Prediction
Make a prediction of which projectile (bouncy ball, pom pom, candy) you think will
shoot the farthest, and how far it will go (in feet):

Build Your Catapult & Launch Your Projectiles

Use the materials provided, the design process, and your creativity to build an
effective catapult. After you have built your catapult, then test your 3 different
projectiles. Have fun!
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Worksheet

Test Catapult & Make a Conclusion

After you build your catapult, test all 3 projectile objects and record the distance of
each in feet. Make a conclusion about the effectiveness of your catapult and which
projectile went the farthest:

Reflection on Your Design Process

How effective was your initial design? Describe the steps you took, from your initial
idea, to your final catapult. What helped you most to make improvements? (Testing,
seeing other’s ideas, trial & error, etc). What would you do to improve your catapult,
given more time or materials?
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Challenges
● Build a catapult that launches over 6 feet

● Make the most unique catapult

● Make a mobile catapult

● Launch a projectile into a cup

● Make a catapult that launches multiple projectiles at once

● Use a minimal amount of materials, to make an effective catapult

● Use as many materials as you can, to make an effective catapult