My Mousetrap Catapult Information and Steps

Materials I Needed

• mousetrap
• spoon
• electro tape
• pilers
• doorstops
• square-shaped toys
• tape measure
• ping pong ball
• ruler
• protractor
• textbooks

Pictured above were most (but not all) materials used.

Steps

1. Remove all parts of the mousetrap using pilers except for the spring and hammer.
2. Tape a spoon to the hammer of the mousetrap: start by taping an 'x' and then all around the hammer.
3. Make a 45 degree angle with the doorstops and tape the doorstops together to be more secure.
4. Take one square-shaped toy and tape it to the mousetrap securely in order to stop the mousetrap after its release.
5. Attach mousetrap to doorstops.
6. Use the square-shaped toys to build a base and tape the base together.
7. Attach the base to the mousetrap.
8. Set contraption on some text books, because the higher the better.
9. Test out the mousetrap by launching a ping pong ball and measuring the distance it went with the tape measure.

Factors I Had to Consider

• The angle of the mousetrap. A catapult's angle does affect the distance so after some research I discover that the best angle is 45 degrees or lower. 45 degrees give the maximum displacement in x.

• A longer catapult arm does not necessarily mean a larger x displacement. I also attempted extending my arm, but it was too flimsy and I found that the spoon I simply used for my final catapult was much more efficient.
• The height of the mousetrap. We were given a one foot limit on the height of where the ball will be launched. I decided to take advantage of this as much as possible. It was for this reason that I later added the textbooks to my catapults base. The higher the displacement in y, the longer it will take to reach the ground, thus making the projectile go father.

Difficulties Along the Way

• I had trouble figuring out how to get the 45 degree angle. However, after a while a brainstorming i remembered that doorstops provided an angle for me to work with.
• I also had some difficulty finding something to successfully stop the hammer's motion. My problem was solved when I was going through my basket and found these old square-shaped toys I used to play with. Those toys managed to provide me with a stopper and a base.

My Mousetrap Catapult

This is a video/slideshow of my steps during my construction of the mousetrap catapult.

The Types of Catapults

The ancient Greeks invented catapults.

A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices.

The main types of catapults used were the ballista, mangonel, trebuchet and onager. These types of catapults are shown below.

The Ballista

•  Large crossbow
• Designed to work through torsion
• Uses twisted ropes as an energy source to function
• Ammunition included giant arrows or darts made of wood with an iron tip
• Very accurate
• Immobile

The Mangonel

• Designed to throw heavy projectiles from a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of its arm
• Simple to construct
• Used to fire a variety of objects at fortresses, castles, and cites
• Wheels were later added to increase mobility

The Trebuchet

• Most powerful catapult employed in the Middle Ages
• Ammunition included stones, darts, and sharp wooden poles
• Effective ammunition involved fire
• Came in two different designs

1. Traction, which were powered by the people
2. Counterpoise, where the people were replaced with a weight on the short end

The Onager

• Similar to a mangonel
•  Initially launched projectiles from a sling with was later change to a bowl-shaped bucket

What do you expect from honors physics?

Compared to our classes in middle school, honors physics is a huge change. It is no longer about simply paying attention and memorizing what the teachers says. This is a class where you have to think, using logic and reasoning. In reality, the problems we have begun to solve in class are not difficult. It is merely a matter of learning how to think on your own. From this class I expect to get into the mentality of applying my knowledge and logic to solve the problems. I understand that topics discussed in this class are not ones that can be mastered in the one hour of class time we have each day. To successfully complete this course you have to invest hours outside of school to fully comprehend the skills we will be taught.