Trebuchet

We're Angus and Jonathon, and we're into really old-school stuff: medieval history! When we're not building castles, playing joust, or reading about knights, we're engineering stuff. Our most recent invention is called a trebuchet, a catapult-like device dating back to medieval days that is useful for transporting materials (translation: flinging stuff) long distances. We want to throw out this DragonflyTV question: What trebuchet design will to throw things the farthest?

How Would You Investigate This Question?
What in the world is a trebuchet? What did medieval models look like and what were they made from? How and why were they used? What's the difference between a trebuchet and a catupult? Once you've gathered some background knowledge about trebuchets, think about how you throw or toss things, like a ball. What do you need to do to get the greatest distance out of your throw? Write your ideas in your notebook and discuss them with your classmates and your teacher. Then watch the video segment, or go to Trebuchet to see Angus and Jonathon's excellent engineering.