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The Great Catapult Challenge

Created for Mr. Erekson's Physics class, B-3

Also included were diagrams and a graph. If you really want to see them, E-mail us at wentzium@yahoo.com
COVER PAGE:

Gertrude the Magnificent

Team Members:
Mark “The Yellow Dart” Hamilton
Taylor “To Die For” Waddel
Katie “Don’t Make Me Immolate You” Lamb

Physics B-3
Instructor: Coach K.
Under the watchful eye, and gracious direction of Mr. Tom Erekson

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MISSION STATEMENT:

A Brief History of "Team Trudy"
a.k.a. "Our Mission Statement"
(A work of priceless art by "The Yellow Dart")

When initially approaching the daunting task that was set before us, "Team Trudy" set into action to do something that had never been done before. On the dawning of a new era in Physics history, we spent at least two minutes choosing our team. The selection was arduous and excruciating. Would we choose a slacker and end up doing all the work on our own? No! Would we allow ourselves to be coerced into being a part of the group full of baseball players? No! We took a firm stance, pitting our very lives against the onslaught of ignorance. Eventually, the smoke cleared, and a new light shined forth-a pillar of strength and hope that would lead to the attainment of perfection. What were the other groups to do? Without three of the--nay, the only geniuses in the class, how would they survive? The answer was obvious. They wouldn't. Day one came to an end, and the team of Mark Hamilton, Katie Lamb and Taylor Waddel set forth to conquer the forces of evil-and gravity.
That same night, tragedy struck. Taylor Waddel was taken, against his will, to Disneyland. Would he ever return? Now virtually alone, the two-legged stool of Katie and Mark threatened to break under the strain. Day two was dedicated to Taylor's memory, and doing Internet research. The Onager, the Ballista, and the Trebuchet. Which would we choose? Without the advice of their chief engineer, Katie and Mark floundered in indecision. They managed on two separate occasions to break the room's only printer. Mr. Erekson fumed, and the printer was out of commission for days.

Day three: Coach K. lays down the smack. Forced to work on something, Katie and Mark made an executive decision. They would build an Onager. Taylor, who had been missing for some time, finally returned, liberated from the captivity of Michael Eisner's Evil Empire. Once again united under the power of brains, brawn and beauty, they kicked into full gear.

The initial sketching was done by Taylor, who in a frenzy of creativity and innovative engineering, nearly set the paper on fire. With a few comments of their own, Katie and Mark couldn't comprehend the beauty of Taylor's genius. They could scarcely stand to bask in the radiance of his wisdom, for the brightness surrounding them. Overcome in a euphoria of righteous pride, "Team Trudy" spent their construction time mocking the other groups. Morgan Williams looked as if he were about to cry on more than one occasion. Coach K., infuriated by the lack of progress, flew into a rage. Struggling to regain her composure, she politely said, "Are you sure you don't want to cut it here?" What she did not know, was that at home, Taylor's secret laboratory in his basement was calling their name. Literally. "Team Trudy," it would say in an eerily familiar voice-like that of Al Gore, or some other Satanic embodiment of evil.

They resolved to cram the wood into Katie's car for transport to Taylor's house after school that day. When they all reconvened the next day, the lab was still calling their name, but this time it sounded more like Brittany Spears. Taylor's father, a man who had previously had such an influence in Taylor's life-mainly, he was like a father to him,-had done the cutting the night before. All that was left was the assembly of Gertrude. In the comfort of Taylor's Lab, "Team Trudy" worked furiously to "Out-play, out wit, and out last" the other groups. Toiling long hours over a burning bellows, the group forged from the fires of Mt. Doom, a firing pin that would rule them all. Inscribed on its shaft was this message, visible only under extreme cold,

"One team to rule them all,
one team to eat the rest,
one team to shoot the ball,
and with a CD be the best."

As inspiration was poured out on "Team Trudy," a heavenly glow filled the room, and a voice from above said, "I'm going to pick up Heather. I'll be back in a little while." With Taylor's mom out of the picture, the group could now carry out their devious plans. They installed the hyper drive generator, giving Trudy warp-speed capability. As Katie welded the photon cannon onto the base, Taylor calibrated the transporter. Mark worked on the replicator, testing it out on a bowl of ice cream for everyone in the group. Finally, Trudy was completed. All that was left was to take her back to school.

As "Team Trudy" burst into the classroom through the saloon-style double doors, the honky-tonk piano cut out. Everyone in the room was silent-it was clear these were no ordinary people. Before them stood a heavenly visage of perfection on Earth. The epitome of beauty stood before their very eyes. Coach K. approached the trio apprehensively. After assessing the situation, it was clear that she was personally offended that the group had not used her tools for their creation. Nevertheless, today was also a day for construction, and "Team Trudy" took advantage of the time they had to discuss plans for making Gertrude more aesthetically pleasing.

When they took it home that night, the group then met at Mark's art studio. Combining the use of bad taste and feminine appeal, the group created a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre in Paris. When Trudy returned to class, she was a light lavender, speckled with a pastel blue and yellow-with army men. How was it possible that their creation could get any cooler than it was? To this day, there is no definite answer, but when asked what their group's mission statement was, a spokesman for "Team Trudy" said:

"The Mission Statement of 'Team Trudy' is:

To level buildings when possible, to get an 'A', to get the attention of the ladies, to combine good timing with a little bit of luck to overcome the adversities in our lives, to perfect the saints, to resist arrest during times of peaceful demonstration, and to hit that dang CD."

In conclusion, we can't believe how awesome we are.

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PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS:

Performance Specifications

This is the page where we tell you, the reader, what this baby can do. Well, as the saying goes, “you can’t teach a dead dog any tricks,” and somehow that’s related–in ways which will come to me eventually, I’m sure. But, at this point in the User’s Manual, you probably haven’t read much of it anyway, given the lengthy mission statement at the outset. So, to make it easy for you to follow, this page [these pages] will be mostly bullet points:

- Trudy can (in theory) hit a Compact Disc placed anywhere between 10 and 15 feet away.

-If Gertrude were a full-scale model, she would be over 4 stories high, and capable of bringing down a castle wall.

-When we fire her, she has an accuracy rate of about 80%, but I’m sure you will not meet with the same luck when you have a hand at it. You see, she’s very temperamental, and can–without warning–occasionally miss her target. This is no fault of her own, or her creators, as she is mechanically and structurally sound, so reason leads us to believe that if you can’t hit the CD in 5 tries, you are the one at fault.

-She can leap buildings in a single bound, she can fend of groups of terrorists in the jungles of Indonesia armed only with some rubber bands and a collection of golf balls. She has recieved numerous awards, including the Caldecott Award in Literature and the Nobel War Prize. Last year, she was named the “Onager of the Year” at prestigious Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was born in Taylor’s Laboratory, using mainly an assortment of radioactive chemicals and electrical shocks.

-She loves to be loved. Gertrude is currently seeking a single Trebuchet or Onager between the ages of 25 and 30. She loves long walks on the beach. Her favorite things to do are, eat Italian food, travel the world giving lectures, and giving service to less fortunate groups in our class. When she has saved enough money, she hopes to travel to the Czech Republic, where she wants to live someday.

-What Gerty looks for in men: They have to be sensitive, kind and buff. She likes the Brendan Frasier look–especially in Encino Man. They have to have a nice body, preferably made of wood. They have to be mentally and structurally stable. She is looking for a permanent relationship. She loves children, and one day, she hopes to have a couple–hundred. If you are interested, call “Team Trudy” today!
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OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS:

Operating Instructions

1. Locate Gertrude in the classroom. It shouldn’t be very difficult. It’s the only lavender onager with blue and yellow pastel speckles—and Army Men. Also, to make life easier for you, we wrote her name on the firing arm. Should you experience any difficulty with this step, ask a member of “Team Trudy” for assistance. It’s their job to help you, and they like to.

2. Now that you’ve located Trudy, it may seem to you that the next logical step would be to prepare to fire her, but this is NOT the next step. The next step is to give every member of “Team Trudy” ONE DOLLAR for every time you intend to fire Trudy. Although we are highly trained professionals, the rising cost of insurance rates in this country following September 11th, 2001 has forced us to compensate for the cost of our safety. This is a win-win situation, because we will be taking that heavy money off your hands, and you will get to fire Gerty.

3. OK, now that we’re a little bit richer, the next step is to affix the rubber bands over the end of the firing arm (See diagram for help in finding it,) nearest the Army Men (See picture 1).
Picture 1

4. Once all four rubber bands are attached, gently move Gerty’s firing arm downward to the locked position, ensuring that the eyehook on the firing arm is in the middle.

5. Cram in that firing pin (the one that we spent long hours toiling over the burning bellows. The one that was forged in the fires of Mt. Doom, the firing pin that would rule them all. The one on whose shaft is inscribed the message which is only visible in extreme cold, which reads, “One team to rule them all, one team to eat the rest, one team to shoot the ball, and with a CD, be the best.”) Yeah. That one. Put it through the three eyehooks, with the one from the firing arm in the middle. Thus, it goes, the first eyehook on the base, the one from the firing arm, then the other one from the base, (see picture 2). Ironically, this is one of the simplest steps, yet I spent the longest time typing it for your viewing pleasure.
Picture 2

6. PLACE THE GOLF BALL IN THE CUP (see picture 3). This is the step most frequently forgotten in our trials. Tragically, it produced little elation from the crowd if you launch an empty Onager. You will find that their eyes follow the intended path of the ball. Should this occur, simply tell the onlookers “The ball traveled so fast that it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. A high shutter-speed, and an expensive camera are necessary to see it at all.” This will get them every time.
Picture 3

7. Make sure that Gertrude is aligned with your target. A handy hint to help you (you like that alliteration?) would be to use the turret of the tank as a sight. In our experimentation, it has proved to be fairly accurate, (about as accurate as the catapult is.)

8. Also, make a note of where the front of the catapult is. It will be necessary to re-position the catapult after every time you fire it, due to the slick nature of the floor of room #131.

9. Now, you are ready to fire Gerty. Take note that these steps don’t necessarily have to be carried out in this exact order. You can position the Onager first, then pull down the firing arm, put in the pin and put in the ball. That would work too.

10. Firing Trudy is a difficult task. Only the strong survive. The few, the proud…they’re the ones that can do this. It is not for the faint of heart. If you are pregnant or nursing, you should not operate this catapult. If you have a heart disorder, step away. You should not operate Trudy if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Assuming that none of these apply to you, let’s move on. Pull the pin out with the special string.

11. Whoa! It worked! You fired Trudy, who I’ve also been calling “Gertrude” and “Gerty.” Good job. Now, ask yourself some questions. Did it fire too far? Depending on where the CD is, you will need to add or subtract weight. We calibrated her to fire 15 feet with four rubber bands. That means, to get her to fire closer in towards you, you will need to attach weight. Just follow our simple calibration graph to see how much weight, if any, should be added or subtracted.

12. Repeat steps 1-11 for each time you fire Gerty…Gertrude…Trudy…our AMAZING ONAGER!

13. STEP 13, for those of you who don’t have the patience, or the intellect to understand those instructions, simply go to Appendix 1, where you can find an abridged version.
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SAFTEY PRECAUTIONS:

Warning!

-Make sure you don’t lean over the catapult when it is loaded, being loaded, or firing.

-Make sure that the area in front of the catapult is clear of unsuspecting or innocent victims.

-Don’t use too many rubber bands; doing so will cause either a hole in Mr. Erekson’s wall, or a splintered dowel, which could poke an eye out.

-Harmful if swallowed. Do not get in eyes or on skin. Causes skin and eye irritation. Avoid contamination of food. Keep away from heat, sparks, or open flame.

-Make sure the firing pin is secure before releasing the arm.
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FIRING TIPS:

Firing Tips

10: Be sure to pull the pin out the same direction, as the arm shifts the direction you pull the pin.

9: Before you fire; stop, collaborate, and listen.

8: Don’t place any part of your body in front of or over the loaded catapult.

7: Be sure to hold the catapult securely, so the catapult does not shift while firing.

6: Make sure the right amount of weight is attached to the throwing arm.

5: Make sure the rubber bands are attached, and are not twisted or spread out.

4: Check the dowels for any cracks.

3: Make sure the catapult is in the same position as it was originally.

2: Make sure the firing pin is secure before releasing the arm.

1: Make sure the ball is in the cup!
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THE SCIENCE OF OUR CATAPULT:

The Science of Our Catapult

After calibrating our catapult, we decided to find out the physics that are acting on Gertrude. We decided to solve this problem by testing it with no weight on the throwing arm. On the first shot, we hit 15 feet exactly, so we decided to solve with that number. After converting it to meters we found that our golf ball had traveled 4.572 m. Then we decided to time the golf ball’s flight. We came up with 1.2 seconds. We then measured the height of the throwing arm when it releases the golf ball. We found that to be at .875 m. We already knew that vertical acceleration is 10 m/s^2. Then we started plugging these numbers into our kinematics equations. The ones we used are listed here: (V^2=Vi^2+2AD) and (D=ViT+(1/2) AT^2). We used these to find the vertical ending velocity and the horizontal velocity. These values were:

Horizontal Velocity:
Vi and V=3.81 m/s
Vertical Velocity:
Vi=0 m/s
V=4.183 m/s

These are the results we calculated. These show what forces act on the golf ball during release and during its travel time.
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APPENDIX 1 - OPERATING INSTUCTIONS (ABRIGED):

Appendix 1 - Operating Instructions
(Abriged)

1. Locate Gertrude in the classroom

2. Affix the rubber bands over the end of the firing arm (See diagram for help in finding it,) nearest the Army Men (See picture 1).

3. Once all four rubber bands are attached, gently move Gerty’s firing arm downward to the locked position, ensuring that the eyehook on the firing arm is in the middle.

4. Place the firing pin through the eyehooks. Put it through the three eyehooks, with the one from the firing arm in the middle. Thus, it goes, the first eyehook on the base, the one from the firing arm, then the other one from the base, (see picture 2).

5. PLACE THE GOLF BALL IN THE CUP (see picture 3).

6. Make sure that Gertrude is aligned with your target. A handy hint to help you would be to use the turret of the tank as a sight. In our experimentation, it has proved to be fairly accurate, (about as accurate as the catapult is.)

7. Also, make a note of where the front of the catapult is. It will be necessary to re-position the catapult after every time you fire it, due to the slick nature of the floor of room #131.

8. Now, you are ready to fire Gerty. Take note that these steps don’t necessarily have to be carried out in this exact order. You can position the Onager first, then pull down the firing arm, put in the pin and put in the ball. That would work too.

9. Pull the pin out with the special string.

10. Whoa! It worked! Now, ask yourself some questions. Did it fire too far? Depending on where the CD is, you will need to add or subtract weight. We calibrated her to fire 15 feet with four rubber bands. That means, to get her to fire closer in towards you, you will need to attach weight. Just follow our simple calibration graph to see how much weight, if any, should be added or subtracted.

11. Repeat steps 1-10 for each time you fire Gertrude.

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For questions or concerns about using this site for your own purpose, E-mail us at wentzium@yahoo.com Copyright 2003