Essay On Trebuchet

I, Kylie Innes, have chosen to do the trebuchet as my science demo. The trebuchet is a medieval siege engine that was used to throw projectiles at the enemy. I have an interest in weapons, so the trebuchet was a perfect fit because I was interested and excited about doing the project, rather than it be boring for me to do. I chose to work alone for this project. One reason for working alone is because I work better by myself than in a group for projects. Also, I am a very busy person, so it would have been a challenge to meet with my partner to work on the project. The specific inventor of the trebuchet is unknown, but it is believed to have been invented in 300 BC in China. During the Middle Ages, around 500 AD, the trebuchet reached Europe where the design was adjusted. The trebuchet was the first war machine that used leverage and gravity instead of tension and torsion to throw an object. The purpose of the trebuchet was to create a more accurate and powerful version of the catapult. One main use of the trebuchet during battle was to knock down and damage walls.

Newton’s First Law states that unless acted upon by an unbalanced force, an object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest. The projectile, after being released, would fly through the air forever if gravity, air resistance and friction, the unbalanced forces, were not present. Newton’s Second Law states that force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma). The acceleration of the projectile is created by the mass of the weight when released. Newton’s Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The action of the trebuchet is the weight dropping and the equal and opposite reaction is the projectile