Experiment with different distances, and even different amounts of popsicle sticks in the stack, to see what works best. When the stacked popsicle sticks are farther from the elastic on the spoon, the objects tend to be shot straight up in the air. The closer they are to the elastic, the farther the projectile will go. You can also change the angle of the catapult by moving the stacked popsicle sticks closer to the elastic on the spoon. If your spoon is flexible enough, pull it right down to the table before releasing it to get more speed. Try pulling the spoon down at different angles. Then gravity plays a part, bringing the load back down. Releasing the arm changes the potential energy to kinetic energy, sending the load flying. Pulling down the arm of the catapult is force, which creates potential energy. An object stays at rest until an external force is applied. How levers work can be explained using Newton’s Laws of Motion. You push the arm (plastic spoon) over the fulcrum (popsicle sticks) to launch the load (tin foil balls, or whatever you choose). These popsicle stick catapults are a simple machine called a lever. You definitely want heavier duty rubber bands for this experiment. We first tried using rainbow loom elastics, but they were too loose. If you don’t have asparagus elastics, thicker elastics, like size #64 rubber bands, will work the best. We used the elastics that were around our asparagus bunches, and they worked perfectly. Make a prediction about which object you think will fly the farthest! Which elastics are best for a popsicle stick catapult? ![]() Try paper balls, marshmallows, eraser tops, bottle caps, or pom poms. But you can send any object flying with these catapults (within reason!!), which makes them so much fun. Objects with a bit of weight to them, like a ball of tin foil, are the perfect projectile. What type of projectiles work best in popsicle stick catapults? ![]() ![]() The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used: Hold the catapult with one hand, and use the other hand to pull the lever down. Try to tie the band as close as you can to the edge of the two-stick bundle. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website. 2 catapults out of popsicle sticks Puzzle Experiment 2. Line up the two large popsicle sticks and tie them together at just one end. This helps you aim the cotton ball forward.Looking for more fun ideas? Here’s some of our favourites: 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. Total Project Time 10-20 minutes Key Concepts Physics, engineering, kinetic energy, potential energy, projectile motion Credits Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies Popsicle Stick Catapult Google Classroom Introduction Catapults were mighty handy for pirates in the golden age of piracy (during the 17th century). 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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