Physics Portion: Energy

The trebuchet catapult is the most efficient and accurate because it can transfer the stored energy to the projectile. It provides consistency in the projectile due to the fact that the same amount of energy can be delivered every trial. The trebuchet works by using the energy of the falling counterweight, and for maximum launch speed, the counterweight must be heavier than the payload. But there is a certain weight that the counterweight must be to make it most affective. Having the counterweight on the shorter end of the arm allows the payload to reach a larger linear velocity which allows for the payload to have a higher launch velocity. When the trebuchet is ready to launch, the counterweight and payload experience potential energy and then once it is released, the counterweight is influenced by the downward gravitational force and the payloads potential energy is transferred to kinetic energy.