Catapult Basics
A machine that throws things through the air.
What is a catapult?
This is the main purpose of a catapult?
What is to launch or throw an object through the air?
The invisible pull that makes the projectile fall back to Earth?
What is gravity?
A catapult uses this simple machine to help it launch objects.
What is a lever?
Changing this part of a catapult can affect how far it launches.
What is the launch angle?
The thing you put in a catapult to launch?
What is a projectile?
This is the energy stored when a catapult arm is pulled back?
What is potential energy?
The pushing or pulling force that makes something move.
What is force?
The point where the lever pivots or turns is called this.
What is the fulcrum?
The variable you measure in a catapult experiment.
What is the distance the projectile travels?
The energy that is stored when something is stretched, pulled back or ready to move?
What is potential energy?
When the catapult releases, potential energy changes into thiss kind of energy?
What is kinetic energy?
The higher you pull back the catapult arm, the more of this you build up.
What is tension (or stored energy)?
Pulling back the catapult arm is an example of storing this kind of energy.
What is elastic potential energy?
You should always do this to make sure your experiment is fair and accurate.
What is repeat the test?
The energy of something that is moving?
What is kinetic energy?
The object launched from a catapult is called this
What is a projectile?
This term describes how fast and in what direction something moves.
What is velocity?
A rubber band-powered catapult uses this simple machine to store energy?
What is an elastic (spring)?
The item that stays the same in every test.
What is a controlled variable?
The curved path that a launched object follows through the air?
What is trajectory?
This ancient civilization used catapults in battles to launch rocks and fireballs.
What is Ancient Greece (or Rome)?
The curve or path a launched object follows through the air.
What is trajectory?
This is the reason longer catapult arms can launch objects farther.
What is more leverage (or mechanical advantage)?
The scientific method starts with this.
What is a question or hypothesis?