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Our 8 modifications
We were given many great examples by our peers in ways we could improve or upgrade our trebuchets and had to pick 8 of those suggestions to make our trebuchets the best they could be. Those 8 included axle material, arm length, nail dimensions, leg length, base support, nail angle, number of rubber bands, and adding tape to the ends of our axle.
-Axle material
We changed the axle material because our previous material was wood, which was not sturdy enough for the amount of force we were applying on it. We feared that during the trial the material was going to break so we changed the material from wood to a pvc pipe. A sturdier and more reliable material.
-Nail dimensions
Originally our nail was only a mear 1 inch nail that was nailed half way into the arm with the other half being used to hold the projectile. We changed it from a 1 inch nail to a 2 ½ inch nail that wouldn't come out of the arm and still have enough room for half of it to stick out and hole the projectile.
-Arm Length
We change the arm length to maximize the distance in which the projectile was launched. This is because F=ma and the bigger we made the arm, the more force was applied to the projectile, making it go further. Increasing the size of the arm also allowed for an easy pull and release.
-Leg Length
Since we had changed the length of the arm it was mandatory that we changed the length of the legs that held the arm and the axle. By changing the legs it allowed for an easier spin for the arm and the ability to change to position of both the arm and axle.
-Number of Rubber Bands
We changed the number of rubber bands we used from one to six in order to make the amount of force being applied to the trebuchet greater, making the distance the projectile went further.
-Base Support
Due to the added amount of rubber bands the increased size of the arm, the base was becoming very flimsy and weak. So in order to fix that we took out a couple of the screw we previously had and almost doubled the amount of screw in the base and made it so that none of the wooden planks moved when we pulled the arm for launch.
-Nail Angle
During our first few trial our rubber bands kept slipping off of our nail that held them. We in turn changed the angle of the nail to a 45 degree angle to hold the rubber bands in place, and insure that they wouldn't slip off during the pull back of the arm.
-Tape on the Ends of the Axle
Another problem we encountered was the axle slipping and sliding through the legs, making the pull of the arm unsteady and unsafe. Adding the tape make the width of the axle greater and added an additional amount of friction between both the axle and the legs.
Claim Evidence reasoning
We changed two different variables in our trebuchet and made two different charts on our poster. Our first variable that we changed was the angle of the nail that held the projectile. We believe that a 135 degree angle is best for the nail that holds the projectile. This is because it provides for a cleaner and quicker release time of the projectile and doesn't cause the projectile to get caught on the end of the nail. The second variable that we changed was the number of rubber bands used to launch the projectile. Using 5 rubber bands or more makes the projectile go further. This is because it creates more force on the arm of the trebuchet, making the projectile go further because F=ma.
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