Bean Catapult

Project goals:
The objective of this activity is to design and build a catapult with every day materials that is precise enough to hit a target with a bean (or a pee, etc.).

Learning objectives:
After the activity, students will be able to:
– Understand projectile forces – Apply technological design in solving a problem
– Be familiar with scientific inquiry

Situated context of the problem:
Catapults and similar devices apply the physics of projectiles to throw objects at a large distance. Used most of the times for military purposes, catapults allowed to breach strong defenses therefore allowing the entrance of the attacking armies.

Problem Statement:
How can we create a catapult with everyday materials that will allow us to throw a projectile (bean or pee) into a target?