The Effect Of A Trebuchet Arm Length And Counterweight...

Effect of a Trebuchet Arm Length or Counterweight Mass on Projectile Distance A trebuchet is a siege weapon most commonly used in the middle ages. It uses gravity to propel an object. There are competitions held today called Pumpkin Chunkin which use trebuchets to launch pumpkins as far as possible. The common question is what the dimensions should be when making it. Should the arm be longer or shorter? Should the counterweight be heavier or lighter? These questions have been asked by competitors in trebuchet competition as well as engineers. And this is why the project is in the field of mechanical engineering. The way a Trebuchet works is that a counter weight drops which pulls the arm forward and at the point of takeoff a pin releases the object that is being projected. The counterweight drops using gravity and is attached to the arm causing it to fly up and launch the object. Engineers have had previous experience in this field because of the world wide trebuchet launching compe titions. One example of engineers making this trebuchet are the engineers from team NASAW in the Pumpkin Chunkin competition. Team NASAW has a trebuchet with a heavy weight and a long arm. There arm and weight start next to each other at the beginning. The weight drops forward and like a whip the arm swings around and fires the pumpkin into the air at insane speeds. They are one of the top competitors in the competition and have proven countless times that the design works wonderfully.