Make a catapult
10 minutesWith a few simple materials, you can make your own catapult at home. Get to work and discover how to launch small objects.
Requirements
Steps
Stack 5 ice-lolly sticks on top of each other and bind them tightly together with a rubber band at each end.
Use the scissors to cut two slits at one end of each of the 2 remaining ice-lolly sticks.
Then tie these ends together with a rubber band. The rubber band should fit exactly into the slits.
Place the stack of 5 sticks between the 2 sticks that are tied together. A bit like the open jaws of a crocodile.
Make your catapult stronger by adding another rubber band. Tie this rubber band in a cross shape around the point where the sticks cross.
Slide the spoon between the crossed rubber band. Use a piece of sticky tape to stick the spoon to the end of the top ice-lolly stick.
You can place the things you want to launch in the spoon.
Place a ball of paper in the spoon, pull the top stick back, release and… fire away!
What did you discover
When you pull the top stick back, the ice-lolly stick bends a little. This causes energy to build up in the stick. When you release the stick, that energy is released all at once and it launches the ball of paper. Larger catapults work in exactly the same way.
Tip: Try changing the design of your catapult. Make the stack of sticks thinner or thicker, tighten or loosen the rubber bands, or launch objects of different weights. What happens when you make these changes?