Trebuchet Physics

Stem Fair 2022

Torin Chadburn

Question and Purpose

The question this experiment set out to answer was that of what trebuchet arm ratio can

achieve the most projectile travel distance. The purpose of this experiment was to

determine the most effective arm ratio for launch of a projectile via trebuchet. The data

garnered here can be extrapolated to projectile motion in other areas where mechanical

advantage is concerned by relation in a similar way.

Experiment

The experiment performed here was designed to test arm length ratios in order to

discover the most efficient ratio for launch velocity and range. Initially several arms of

differing ratios were constructed to match a model trebuchet that was, for convenience,

constructed at a scale smaller than a traditional trebuchet. Due to the nature of the tests

being related to ratios the size of trebuchet used is irrelevant. After construction each

arm was tested a number of times and launch distance was determined. The data from

these launches, including the distance traveled by the projectile and the force calculably

exerted by the lever arm, was used to calculate the likely launch angle and velocity of

the projectile; that data was then used to parabolically graph the paths most likely taken

by each projectile.
Research

Through researching this topic it became evident that many others had looked into

similar questions in the past. The paper Trebuchet Mechanics by Donald B. Siano

proved immensely helpful in understanding the physics behind the trebuchet and was

the source of many of the equations used for the mathematical portion of this

experiment. The Mechanics of the Trebuchet, another paper, written by Matt Taggart,

offered great insight into past experiments with similar goals to this one.

Expansion and Extrapolation

In order to expand on this experiment more tests could be conducted using different

arm ratios to increase the resolution of the data. Differing counterweight ratios or sling

lengths could be used to find more efficient ratios for those aspects of the siege engine.

It might also be insightful to run tests with the object of calculating efficiency and what

factors affect that particular property.

Key terms

Trebuchet:

The trebuchet is a medieval siege engine and type of catapult. It differs from a

traditional catapult most notably in the use of a sling to amplify the effects of a lever arm

in throwing a projectile. There are two common types of trebuchet, these include the

mangonel, or traction trebuchet, which uses human power to swing the arm, and the

counterpoise trebuchet, which uses the weight of a counterweight to swing the arm. The

Trebuchet used in this experiment was a counterpoise trebuchet.

 Trebuchet arm:

The trebuchet arm is the lever arm that connects the counterweight to the sling and

rotates around the central axel or pivot.

Arm length ratio:

Arm ratio refers to the distance between the end of the lever arm where the sling

attaches and the axle around which it rotates, over the distance between the counter

weight and the axle. This was the independent variable in this experiment. For the initial

set of arms b was a constant variable. For the adapted arms the distance of b was

increased.

Counterweight ratio:

The counterweight ratio refers to the ratio of projectile weight to counterweight weight.

The counterweight ratio used for this experiment was approximately 3.75/100.
Works Cited

Taggart, Matt. “Final Year Project the Mechanics of the ... - Dl.icdst.org.” The

Mechanics of the Trebuchet,

https://dl.icdst.org/pdfs/files/3242543a5f49515bde5b9ce94ef2a96a.pdf.

Siano, Donald B. “Trebuchet Mechanics - Weber State University.” Trebuchet

Mechanics,

https://faculty.weber.edu/kharward/MET1000/trebmath35.pdf.

“Trebuchet Physics.” Real World Physics Problems,

https://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/trebuchet-physics.html.