When you release the stick, all that potential energy is released into energy in motion producing the projectile motion.Ī catapult is a simple machine that has been around for ages. You can talk about stored energy or potential elastic energy as you pull back on the Popsicle stick, bending it. Learn more about potential and kinetic energy. Gravity also does its part as it pulls the object back down to the ground. When you pull down the lever arm all that potential energy gets stored up! Release it and that potential energy gradually changes over to kinetic energy. Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion state that an object at rest stays at rest until a force is applied, and an object stays in motion until something creates an imbalance. You can also learn about projectile motion. What is there to explore that has to do with physics? Let’s start with energy including elastic potential energy. This is a great simple physics activity for kids of multiple ages. This type of project encourages critical thinking, experimentation, and the application of knowledge to solve a problem - all essential components of STEM education. Integrating technology, participants can use tools like rulers, protractors, or even digital devices to enhance the accuracy of their measurements and record observations.ĭiscuss real-world applications of catapult technology, such as historical siege engines or modern devices used in engineering and physics research.īy building a popsicle stick catapult, participants engage in a hands-on STEM activity that not only fosters creativity and teamwork but also provides a practical application of scientific and engineering principles. Analyzing the data allows them to draw conclusions about how changes in the design or launch parameters affect performance. This process involves testing, data collection, and analysis to find the most effective design.Īfter launching the projectiles, kids can measure and record the launch distances at different angles or with different weights. Kids can experiment with different designs, sizes, and materials to optimize the catapult’s performance. They also explore geometric principles when determining the launch angle and trajectory of the projectile. Kids use mathematical concepts to measure and cut popsicle sticks accurately. Kids must consider factors like stability, tension in the rubber band, and the angle of launch to optimize the catapult’s performance. Kids explore the mechanical aspects of how levers work and how the components of the catapult interact to achieve a specific function.ĭesigning and building a functional catapult requires problem-solving skills which is the engineering component. Learn more about how a catapult works below.Ĭreating a popsicle stick catapult uses technology as it involves designing a simple machine. This helps you aim the cotton ball forward.These Popsicle stick catapults make a great STEM activity! Building a catapult involves understanding basic science concepts such as force, motion, and energy transfer. Pushing your six sticks the other direction creates a greater angle between the launching stick and the base. This results in a cotton ball aimed more upward than forward. Moving the stack of six sticks closer to the launching cup makes the launching stick lie flatter. In the case of your catapult, the cotton ball probably flew higher and farther. Bending farther means more energy gets stored in the stick, and when you let go, all this stored energy is converted into energy of motion, so the cotton ball flies through the air at a higher speed. Maybe you felt you needed to exert more force or work harder to bend the stick farther. Pushing the stick down farther takes more effort from you. Most of this energy transfers to the cotton ball, which shoots through the air. When you let go, this energy is released and converted to energy of motion. When you bend your stick, you load your launching stick up with energy. Do you get similar results each time? Is what you observe what you expected? Can you explain why?ĭid you see your cotton ball fly higher and farther when you pushed you launching stick farther down?
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