Catapult+of+Challenge

**Names:**  Paul, Minsoo

**Title:**  Catapult Challenge

**Lab goal/question:** 

Try to find the angle of launch that can hit the target 3 meters away. But with two different marbles with different masses.

**Procedure:**  1. Get materials.
 * 2 balls of different mass
 * Catapult
 * Target

2. Place the target 3 meters away. 3. Place the different colored balls on the catapult. 4. Fire the catapult at different angles, using physics equations we have learned, to find the most effective angle to hit the target.. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the second ball.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Data/calculations:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">

Yellow (small) ball: 9g Red (big) ball: 14g Distance from floor to top of catapult: .2 m Distance from catapult to target: 3 m
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Average** || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**°** || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**°** || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**°** || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**°** ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Red Ball || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3.2 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.9 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.8 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yellow Ball || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.5 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4.4 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3.3 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.6 ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> d = 3 meters Vi = ? Vf = 0 a = -9.8 t = not important

Solve for initial velocity: Vf^2 = Vi^2 +2a*d 0 = x^2 + -19.6*3 7.66812 m/s = Vi

a = angle of degree sin(2a) = acceleration * distance/initial velocity^2 sin(2a) = -9.8 * 3/7.67^2 at angle 14.9919

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Reflection/conclusion:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">

We didn’t have the most accurate lab equipment but we got close with our data. Through trail, error, and a few calculations we were able to find what degrees it took to have two different massed balls hit the same target. Through the data we collected, we were able to find out that, no matter what degrees it was, the red ball always seemed to have landed very close to 3 meters. The yellow ball, on the other hand, it’s distance became smaller as the angle of launch was raised.

Go Physics!