Mad Science of Sacramento Valley - Mini Catapult
Channel: Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
Date: 2015-03-03

What You Need:
-Plastic spoon
-2 Rubber bands
-Popsicle stick
-Pencil
-Aluminum foil
-Ruler (optional)

What You Do:
Step 1: Place the back of the spoon on the Popsicle stick so that the ends touch. Use a rubber band to attach the end of the stick to
the handle of the spoon.
Step 2: Lift the bowl of the spoon. Slide the pencil between the spoon and the Popsicle stick, making a “t ” shape. 
Step 3: Push the center of the pencil as close to the rubber band as you can, forcing the spoon upward. 
Step 4: Secure the pencil by looping the second rubber band around it, the spoon, and the popsicle stick. You have made a catapult!
Step 5: Crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a marble- sized ball.
Step 6: Place the ball in the spoon.
Step 7: Hold the catapult in place with one hand, and push the spoon down with the other.
Step 8: Release the spoon to launch your ball. 

What's Going On:
You transfer energy to the spoon when you push down on it. This is called potential energy, because it has the potential to make
things happen! The bent spoon starts to move when you let it go. The potential energy changes into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy
is the energy due to motion. Some kinetic energy transfers to the foil ball, launching it across the room. The more you push down
on the spoon, the more energy it has. More energy makes the ball travel farther.

Now Try This:
What makes a projectile fly farther? Launch two different objects and compare the results. Try a foil ball and a paper ball, or
compare an eraser to a Ping-Pong ball. Measure and record the distances your projectiles travel. 

Mad Science of Sacramento Valley
(916)779-0390
Sacramento.MadScience.org
info@madsciencesacto.com
Serving Placer, El Dorado, Solano, Amador, Sutter, San Joaquin, Yolo and Sacramento Counties!!!