Lab Report: Module 2, Mission Delivery

Ian Lim, James Kolano, Nathan Schager Physics 62 Research Question: How does varying the angle between the sling and launch arm of a trebuchet affect the distance traveled by a projectile? Which angle, if any, maximizes this distance? Purpose of Research Question: Determining an optimal setup of the trebuchet would be useful in future launches. Understanding how much variation is introduced by the launch angle is also important, as this can affect the reliability of the trebuchet in consistently launching a projectile to given distances. Experimental Setup and Procedure: We assembled a wooden trebuchet and obtained a 0.5 kg mass for use as a counterweight and a spherical projectile of minimal mass to launch. We then marked the floor in the hallway with tape at 2 meter intervals and placed a measuring stick parallel to the projectiles trajectory. Before each launch, we took a picture of the trebuchet setup to determine the angle at a later time. The base of the trebuchet was manually stabilized by a group member. The projectile was then launched, and we visually observed the distance it traveled using the measuring stick as a reference. This distance was recorded, and we varied the angle throughout the trials, recording several launches at each angle. 3 trials were taken at each of 5 chosen angles: 0, 20, 45, 90, and 135 degrees. Using the photos we more precisely calculated the initial angle of each setup and recorded this against the distance of each trial.

fig. 1- diagram of our experimental setup

Data:

Distance (m) 2.12 2.24 2.54 3 2.33 2.82 2.76 2.63 3.3 1.74 1.44 1.43 1.5 1.57 1.62

8.9 16 16.8 22.9 24.8 25 39.3 42.6 50 83.7 83.8 85.7 112.3 115.9 118.1

fig. 2- graphical representation of our distance/angle data

Analysis: According to the data we took, distance was on average maximized at lower angles. The launches from angles below 60 degrees were consistently farther than the launches from larger angles above 60 degrees, and the maximum distance in our trials was in fact reached at 50 degrees. As we did not take data from the 60 to 80 degree range, we cannot say whether the distance reached a maximum over all angles at 50 degrees or whether further data would indicate a higher angle in that range to maximize distance. There is no physical phenomenon to suggest a spike in the 80-120 degree range, so it is likely that distance is maximized somewhere between 40 and 80 degrees. Conclusions: Our intuitive expectation at the beginning of this experiment was that a smaller angle would increase the launch distance, and on the overall this expectation was confirmed. However, even within trials of the same angle, there were definite variations in launch distance, leading us to believe that other factors play a significant role in the trajectory and launch distance of a projectile. The launch angle did have a noticeable impact on the launch distance. In the time given, we were unable to develop a first-principles model to mathematically determine the basis for this outcome. However, we can state that generally speaking, reducing the angle of the sling to the launch arm tends to increase distance traveled, and increasing the angle tends to reduce the launch distance. We were not able to determine an exact optimal launch angle, and our experiment accounted for only a single projectile mass. Ideally, the experiment would be repeated with more precise angle measurements and a greater variety of angles in order to better determine the relationship between angle and launch distance. If we had time, another possible change might be to take high-speed video of each launch and analyze the visual data to not only determine angle but also various other aspects of the motion, such as the motion of the launch arm and the actual trajectory of the sling before the projectile has left the sling. We could use this to analyze the forces on the projectile and thereby determine the relationship between force and angle. The angle at which the projectile leaves the launch arm might also vary with the initial angle, and this could influence the distance traveled. A mathematical model would also provide a reasonable standard of comparison.