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![]() I didn’t use my catapult for warfare, but I did try flinging baseballs, burritos, and even beer cans. ![]() Without the pair of cross-braces I added, the machine could implode when the spring is tightened. (The ancients used linen and horsehair, but I found that natural fibers like hemp and sisal, which stretch less than nylon rope, are also excellent for catapults.) When it’s fully wound, the rope places immense stress on the entire structure, so it’s important to build the wooden frame solidly. The power behind this catapult’s arm is a spring made from twisted rope. It’s fairly authentic, although I did use modern tools and materials. I looked up books by original Roman and Greek catapult engineers on the Internet, then designed my model. While reading about the bad old days, it struck me that a replica Roman legion–style catapult might be just the thing to bring excitement to my neighborhood block party. And the Mongols invoked an early but gruesome form of germ warfare by tossing plague-infested corpses over the walls of castles they were besieging. The Romans preferred to throw bags of bees at their foes. The Carthaginians put poisonous snakes in clay jars and then launched them at enemy ships. You can find out how in my book, Snackable Science.Long before the invention of gunpowder, ancient armies used siege engines to hurl all sorts of terrible, yet creative, missiles. Team Cartwright has some delicious looking marshmallow play dough.ĭid you know you can make your own marshmallows? It’s a bit messy and sticky but totally worth the effort. Learn about strong and weak shapes with marshmallow and spaghetti structures. Investigation ideasĮxperiment with small marshmallows to investigate how far apart they spread out when you use the full force of the launcher. The marshmallows should fly out of the launcher. If it slips off try securing with an elastic band.įill the cup with marshmallows, pull back the balloon end and release. Small marshmallows Paper cup marshmallow catapult InstructionsĪttach the balloon to the bottom of the paper cup like the image above. To make a paper cup marshmallow launcher you’ll needĪ balloon with the end tied and the top removed. This design is super simple and another good one for younger children. Investigation ideasĮxperiment with bigger and smaller spoons to see which fire the marshmallows the furthest! Paper Cup Marshmallow Launcher They are also stable so very simple for younger children to manipulate. Shoebox catapults are also easy to make and a bit less fiddly than the stick catapult. ![]() Can you make a giant version of a stick catapult?.Try pulling the launching arm half way and then all the way back measuring how far the marshmallow travels each time.Use elastic bands again to attach the stick with the spoon to one corner of the pyramid and then thread another elastic band over the top of the pyramid and the spoon. When you have a sturdy pyramid shape, use more elastic bands to attach a wooden spoon to another stick. ![]() To make this catapult all you need to do is make the triangular pyramid shape with sticks ( we used BBQ skewers ) and elastic bands. We found elastic bands worked much better. Our first attempt using play dough to connect the skewers didn’t quite work as it wasn’t strong enough. For example, if you’re changing the type of marshmallow use the same amount of force on the launching arm. Remember to only change one variable at a time. Try different size and shape marshmallows to find out which travel the furthest.You just need craft or popsicle sticks, elastic bands, tape and a milk bottle top. The traditional popsicle stick catapult is very easy to make. Marshmallow Launcher Designs Craft Stick Catapult
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