How to Make a Mini Trebuchet out of Popsicle Sticks. Under Siege! Can you find the best starting point for the eraser? Tape the popsicle sticks together using masking tape. You should be able to tinker with your design a bit (see recommendations at the end of the procedure) to get your eraser to launch. Assemble all your materials in a location that is open and clear of people, animals or breakable objects so that you can test your trebuchet. Fun! A trebuchet was a weapon used in medieval times to hurl stones and boulders at castle walls. Electrical Tape Popsicle sticks Binder clip Hot glue Bottle cap Directions: 1. Trebuchet Physics, from Real World Physics Problems Eye Hooks. Does it fail to release at all? A trebuchet has a counterweight that is raised and then dropped. Watch. Create a square shaped base using Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, wooden stick, a piece of straw and glue. Sharp Scissors or a Knife 6. :). Then attach a popsicle stick across the two sticks fanning out so as to join them. The straw and pencil form a pivot and should allow the arm to rotate. Try using lighter (or heavier) batteries. Potential energy The triangle spikes, which serve to keep the triangle from slipping when it hits the ground, are most visible in the front and side views. If you have any LEGOs about the house, I bet you could use them in place of the popsicle sticks. Find stories about SWE members, engineering, technology, and other STEM related topics. I hope this helps a bit and best of luck on the assignment. It does not store any personal data. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Step 6: I don't think you should use this website to get follows from people, this is about education. Most of the catapults today were designed for educational (historical . (I used coins - See step 10 on how to make a counter weight) 9. Use one hand to pull down on the eraser. The most powerful catapult The supplies are 10 popsicle sticks, a plastic lid, 13 rubber bands. Secure it in place with rubber bands. Now you will build the trebuchet's arm. X You should be able to tinker with your design a bit (see recommendations at the end of the procedure) to get your eraser to launch. Do this by using a Popsicle stick and placing two other sticks at an angle on either side of this stick, then place another popsicle stick over it to fortify the pillar. Assemble all your materials in a location that is open and clear of people, animals or breakable objects so that you can test your trebuchet. Slide the pencil into the milk shake straw. If it releases too late, the projectile will slam into the ground in front of the trebuchet. Note: there is more than one way to build the trebuchet described in this project. When drilling holes through the swing arm, use the bit the next diameter larger than that of the axle or possibly even 2 sizes larger. 1 year ago, 11 years ago Using a counterweight as the key source of power, the machine transfers gravitational energy into kinetic energy. Take five popsicle sticks and cut one of them in half. Double-Sided Tape Follow him on Twitter @BenFinio. Create a structure as shown below. As the arm swings, the sling holding the eraser slides off the hook and the eraser's kinetic energy causes it to fly through the air as a projectile. Could you add a picture of the screw eye you used? Fun with learning. It relies on gravitational potential energythe type of energy you get by raising something up off the ground. Slide one more stick between the bottom stick and the rest of the stack. Stick the ends of the A-frame pieces into the slots. Approved. This is a mini trebuchet. Let's make a catapult. Reply A backyard trebuchet could be made of wood or PVC pipe with a 24-inch (60 cm) base and a 32-inch (80 cm) swing arm. Create a structure as shown. Thanks for reading Scientific American. For example, you could decide to build the entire frame out of pencils instead of popsicle sticks and you can choose whether you want to use tape, glue, or rubber bands to secure the different joints. A well-built trebuchet should be able to hurl an eraser a few feet. A trebuchet relies on gravitational potential energythe type of energy you get by raising something up off the ground. To build your trebuchet, you will build a frame that looks almost just like a swing set. Think of this as an engineering design projectthere is no single right answer or correct way to build the trebuchet. Remember that there is no single "correct" way to build the trebuchet. frugalfun4boys 3. x 10 in.) By using our site, you agree to our. Science Activities for All Ages, from Science Buddies. Two long base pieces. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Make a simple popsicle stick catapult for fun play at home. You can make a wooden trebuchet with a base about 12 inches (30 cm) and a swing arm of about 16 inches (40 cm) or a smaller and lighter model out of popsicle sticks. You probably know what a catapult is. Hang the battery from the notches in the popsicle stick. Mini Marshmallow Catapult with popsicle sticks rubber. [bs_slideshow] Hurling objects at long distances with a catapult or trebuchet isn't anything new (they were being used in their modern form since the 4th century BC) but it sure is fun and certainly satisfying when they actually hit a target. When the counterweight is raised up, it has lots of gravitational potential energy. Watch. Step 7: Research source Background If youre having trouble you can watch a video of the build. 10 years ago Place the pencil into the two V notches on top of your A-frame pieces. Secure it in place with rubber bands. Instructions Take 5 sticks and stack them, securing one end with a rubber band. For a tabletop trebuchet, you may want to attach a piece of posterboard or cardboard to the bottom of the frame to protect the surface the trebuchet rests on when firing it. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Thanks! Think of this as an engineering design projectthere is no single "right answer" or correct way to build the trebuchet. For example, you could decide to build the entire frame out of pencils instead of popsicle sticks and you can choose whether you want to use tape, glue, or rubber bands to secure the different joints. They can use a counterweight to launch a 90 kg projectile over 300 meters. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. A toy trebuchet might seem harmless, but even a small projectile can cause eye damage. A trebuchet has a lever arm with a large, heavy counterweight on one end and a smaller projectile on the other end. Heather Sheridan P.E., PMP is a Civil Engineer and Project Manager at Black & Veatch in the Hydropower Department. Take 4-5 sticks and stack them together, using a Advertisement Video of the Day Step 1 Place two popsicle sticks together, end-to-end. Now it is time to test your trebuchet. Carefully cut slots in your piece of corrugated cardboard that will allow your A-frame pieces to stand up straight, a few inches apart from each other. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Build-a-Trebuchet-Step-1Bullet1.jpg\/v4-460px-Build-a-Trebuchet-Step-1Bullet1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Build-a-Trebuchet-Step-1Bullet1.jpg\/aid4325264-v4-728px-Build-a-Trebuchet-Step-1Bullet1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"