The longest arm and the heaviest weight both made the projectile go further then the others. A trebuchet with a heavy weight and a long arm will throw projectiles the farthest. The heavier counterweight makes the projectile go further because a larger counterweight mass will make a larger mechanical advantage.
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How does a trebuchet work physics?
A trebuchet works by using the energy of a falling (and hinged) counterweight to launch a projectile (the payload), using mechanical advantage to achieve a high launch speed. For maximum launch speed the counterweight must be much heavier than the payload, since this means that it will “fall” quickly.
How does a trebuchet work simple?
What are the 3 types of trebuchets?
Sometimes counterweight trebuchets are separated into two or three different categories based on how their counterweights are attached. These being fixed, hanging, and hinged counterweights. A fixed counterweight is an intrinsic part of the swinging arm and its trajectory is circular.
What part of trebuchet has kinetic energy?
Since the counterweight in a trebuchet is very heavy, it has a great deal of potential energy. While energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can change forms. The potential energy from the raised counterweight is transformed into kinetic energy—the energy of motion—as the counterweight is released and begins to fall.
How much weight can a trebuchet throw?
A trebuchet is a device for attacking fortifications. Roughly speaking, a trebuchet has a few advantages over a catapult. First, it can handle heavier projectiles. A catapult’s maximum weight tops out at about 180 pounds; trebuchets top out at about 350.
What is the best ratio for a trebuchet?
Dan Becker suggests that the optimum arm ratio is 4to 1 or greater. Philip Radlinski explains that as the size of the throwing arm increases, the distance the projectile is thrown increases then rapidly decreases.
What is the best launch angle for a trebuchet?
When the trebuchet can only just throw the projectile, a smaller angle is better. That means that the projectile should be thrown before the trebuchet reaches 45 degrees. The actual angle the projectile leaves at perpendicular to the projectile arm is larger that 45 degrees.
What factors affect a trebuchet?
A large distance between the fulcrum and the projectile. A large height above the ground from which the counterweight is suspended. The use of aerodynamic projectiles. Minimum friction about the fulcrum.
Where is the energy stored in a trebuchet?
Since the counterweight in a trebuchet is very heavy, it has a great deal of potential energy. While energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can change forms. The potential energy from the raised counterweight is transformed into kinetic energy—the energy of motion—as the counterweight is released and begins to fall.
What evidence is there that energy is conserved in a trebuchet?
The trebuchet works on the principle of conservation of energy. As the counterweight is raised, potential energy is being stored in the system. Once the counterweight is raised to the desired height, all the energy in the system becomes potential, leaving zero kinetic energy.
How do you find the force of a trebuchet?
The formula we then used is: MgH = ½ mv^2 + mgh. M is mass of counterweight, g is gravity (9.8 m/s), H is height of the counterweight, m is mass of projectile and h is height of projectile at launch.
What is a weakness of a trebuchet?
Another disadvantage of a trebuchet is that if the weight set in the counterweight portion of the trebuchet is misjudged against the weight of the projectile, when they set it off it will misfire and send the projectile in an unpredictable direction that could kill soldiers and livestock or destroy the armies equipment …
What is another name for a trebuchet?
In this page you can discover 10 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for trebuchet, like: catapult, trebucket, arbalest, arbalist, ballista, bricole, mangonel, onager, ms-trebuchet-arial-verdana-sans-serif and font-78-1-4em.
Are trebuchets still used today?
Today trebuchets are used as teaching tools in high schools and colleges to learn about load, force, fulcrums, velocity, gravity, and parabolic arcs. They are also used as recruiting tools to lure students into engineering programs. Designing a trebuchet is an assessment of mechanical design and engineering skills.
How is a trebuchet powered?
Introduction: Traction trebuchets were medieval rotating-beam siege engines; they were powered by a human team pulling ropes and hurled stone projectiles from a sling.
What are the critical parts mechanisms of a trebuchet?
42 There are five basic parts to a trebuchet: the frame, the counterweight, the beam, the sling, and the guide chute.
What type of lever is a trebuchet?
A trebuchet is a Class 1 lever. The counterweight provides the effort. The load is the lighter boulder or missile. Between them on the machine carriage is an axle that serves as the fulcrum.
Can a trebuchet launch a person?
The world’s largest working trebuchet can hurl a man-sized projectile at a speed of up to 70 m/s. Working with this video of the trebuchet firing, it looks like it takes about 2 seconds to build up to that speed. This puts the minimum acceleration on the projectile (AKA the person) at between 3 and 4 Gs.
Which is more accurate catapult or trebuchet?
Trebuchets can throw a shot to a significant distance, its range is higher than the catapult, but it is not as precise as a catapult.
What was the largest trebuchet in the world?
The Warwolf, or War Wolf or Ludgar (French: Loup de Guerre), is believed to be the largest trebuchet ever made. It was created in Scotland by order of King Edward I of England, during the siege of Stirling Castle, as part of the Scottish Wars of Independence.
How do you make an efficient trebuchet?
Why do trebuchets have wheels?
Rolling wheels prevent the crushing lurch. Instead, energy is more smoothly channeled into the trebuchet’s arm and missile. Wheels add power as the trebuchet rolls forward. Like a pitcher who leans toward home plate as he hurls, the forward motion adds velocity to the pitched weight.
How do you aim a trebuchet?
How long should trebuchet sling?
The length of your sling needs to be 4/5ths the total length of your throwing arm. The pivot should be 1/5th of the way up your throwing arm, so that the arm has a long bit and a short bit. beans) The counterweight should be 133 times heavier than your missile, the things your trebuchet throws.