Let's see how to do this simple children's catapult made with clothespins and ice cream sticks. It is intended for children. To spend some time with them building it and then playing launching different types of projectiles.
We will take the opportunity to explain different concepts and data about catapults in history and wars depending on the age of the child.
Materials:
- 2 wooden clothes pegs
- 2 popsicle sticks (wide, like doctor's)
- plastic lid
- glue (if possible thermal glue)
- 2 rubber bands, the stronger the better
Homemade catapult step by step
We will leave a wooden stick on the table and stick the tweezers and the second stick as we see in the image
Once it is dry, we will glue the cap 1cm from the end of the 2nd stick. We leave this distance to be able to push it well later. In this way our finger will grip better
To launch we put the projectile that we are going to use in the stopper and with one hand we hold the stick that is on the ground and with another hand we tighten down and suddenly release
See how it opens up when flexing. Energy accumulates in 3 different places:
- in the mechanism of the clamp itself that has to close,
- on the elastic bands that tightly hold the clamps together
- in the bending of the wooden stick
Which projectile or ammunition to use
Be careful what you throw. If you are at home, use something that does not weigh much like a ball of aluminum foil. This is ideal.
If you are going to throw stones, marbles or the like, let it be in open spaces and that nobody gets on it. Throw much stronger than you can imagine. Really. It's a silly little toy but it packs a lot of power. More than expected. Let them tell my roof.
The rubber on the left and the one in the center help to increase power, the one on the right really subtracts, but that's how my daughters shot better. If it wasn't a bit out of control, it's all a matter of you trying.
This is the final result.
As a projectile I like to use a ball made of aluminum foil although you can try different objects. Be careful if you use marbles or things that weigh as it has much more strength than it seems.
What can we explain to them according to their age?
History of catapults, sieges, ballistics, parabolic shooting,
About the catapults
It is a war machine that stores energy to transmit it to a projectile.
The first catapults were invented by the Greeks in 399 BC, developed by the Carthaginians and perfected by the Romans who turned them into authentic weapons of destruction in sieges.
We have talked about some other type of catapults on the blog and I am working on a lot more content
Since then they have been used and modified in all centuries until the XNUMXth century. All kinds of catapults have been invented. But we will leave the history of the catapults for a special article that I am preparing.
Roman catapults could shoot 30 kg stones from 300 m away.
Fonts
- Experiments for beginners. Editorial LIBSA
- The art of the catapult. William Gurstelle
