Why is 45 degrees the best angle?

Why is 45 degrees the best angle?

The reason that 45 degrees is the best launch angle (resulting in the longest flight) is that it perfectly splits the upward and forward forces. Ninety degrees is straight up. Zero degrees is straight forward. 45 degrees is right in the middle, half of 90.

How far can a trebuchet throw?

The largest medieval trebuchets, with throwing arms 50 feet in length and ~20,000 lbs counterweight could throw stones 200-300 lbs to a distance of about 1000 feet.

How do you aim a trebuchet?

The sling should be around the same length of as the long side of the arm. In this case of the diagram above, it should be 2m in length. But if you are using an under-powered counterweight, or your payload is too heavy, decrease the length of the sling to have better results, but it will decrease your maximum range.

What is the range of a trebuchet?

Battles in the 14th century saw payloads as massive as 510 to 560lbs, but something between 100-200lbs was most common. These massive payloads could reach ranges of as far as 900ft. Some sources say that trebuchets were also used to fling diseased corpses over city walls — an early form of chemical warfare.

How tall is a trebuchet?

Based on historical designs, it stands 18 metres (59 ft) tall and throws missiles typically 36 kg (80 lbs) up to 300 metres (980 ft).

What makes a trebuchet a trebuchet?

A trebuchet, also sometimes called a trebucket is a medieval siege engine, a weapon employed either to batter masonry or to throw projectiles over walls. The invention of the trebuchet derives, no doubt, from the ancient sling. … A counterweight trebuchet is powered by a very heavy counterweight, acting on a lever arm.

Is a catapult or trebuchet more accurate?

Because “catapult” covers a fairly wide range of machines, it's accurate to say that trebuchets have a longer range than a catapult when projecting stones at fortifications. When it comes to the maximum range of any catapult, ever, catapults definitely have trebuchets beat.

What is the difference between a catapult and a trebuchet?

– Catapults are any device that throws an object, although it commonly refers to the medieval siege weapon. – Trebuchets are a TYPE of catapult, using gravity (with a counterweight) or traction (men pulling down), to propel the arm and often employing a sling at the end of the arm for greater distance.

What affects the range of a trebuchet?

There are many different factors that can affect the range of a trebuchet; for example, the mass of the counterweight or the length of the lever arm. … In addition to building prototypes of a trebuchet, you can also use physics calculations or even a computer simulation to help you design it to have the best range.

How does a trebuchet release the projectile?

A trebuchet works by using the energy of a falling (and hinged) counterweight to launch a projectile (the payload), using mechanical advantage to achieve a high launch speed. … The advantage of this is that the payload end of the beam reaches a much higher linear velocity than the counterweight end of the beam.

How does a floating arm trebuchet work?

The floating arm trebuchet uses a counterweight held on top of a tall drop channel to transfer potential energy into kinetic energy. A projectile is loaded into a sling at the end of the throwing arm. Upon releasing the trigger, the counterweight is allowed to drop through the channel.

How heavy is a trebuchet?

A catapult's maximum weight tops out at about 180 pounds; trebuchets top out at about 350. Second, compared with a torsion engine, it's a fairly robust machine. Lastly, for a given weight of stone, the trebuchet has a longer range. The big ones there, of course, are the maximum projectile weight and range.

How do you make a trebuchet out of Popsicle sticks?

Take five popsicle sticks and cut one of them in half. Use two long pieces and one half-piece to form an “A” but make sure you cross the long pieces slightly at the top to form a miniature "V" shape. This will leave a small notch for the pencil to rest in later. Glue them together and repeat with the other pieces.

Who invented the floating arm trebuchet?

If you want more information on how a floating arm trebuchet works, there are plenty of videos on the internet. I would visit Ron Toms's site, he's the inventor of this type of trebuchet. The entire thing took me about 2 months to build, but I wasn't working on it every day.

How does the counterweight trebuchet work?

A trebuchet works by using the energy of a falling (and hinged) counterweight to launch a projectile (the payload), using mechanical advantage to achieve a high launch speed. For maximum launch speed the counterweight must be much heavier than the payload, since this means that it will "fall" quickly.

What is the fulcrum of a trebuchet?

Trebuchet. A trebuchet, also sometimes called a trebucket is a medieval siege engine, a weapon employed either to batter masonry or to throw projectiles over walls. … The fulcrum of the lever (usually an axle) is supported by a high frame, and the counterweight is suspended from the short arm of the lever.