Fire Away!

For this project, groups of three each built a trebuchet or a catapult and made modifications to make the projectile go as far as possible. The group I was in was made up of Scarlett, Giselle and me. First, after building the trebuchet, we tested one variable: mass of the load, or the projectile. We tested several masses, from 20 grams to 5 grams. The mass that went the farthest was found to be about 10 grams. Then, after testing a singular variable, each group made 6 modifications to their project to make it shoot the projectile as far as possible.

Reflection:

This project was really fun but also a lot of work, as each group only had three members and there are a lot of variables that change the distance of the projectile. Overall, this project taught me that there are a lot of components that go into seemingly simple builds and machines. During this time, something I did well was being productive and leading the group. I was able to build a lot and also I incorporated Giselle and Scarlett's ideas well, and listening to others and their perspectives and ideas made the trebuchet even better.

Something that I think I can work on is empathy and attitude; sometimes, I got frustrated at the progress we were making and certain ideas. But, the more that I listened and the more they shared, I realized that people have really good ideas and talents that may be hidden at first. So, I was able to be more relaxed about what we were doing, because the process made the trebuchet work really well, and we also all understood the concepts and what we were doing, not just building it but also knowing how it worked and why it did. This project was overall interesting and brought my attention to the value of teamwork.