How to Make an Ice Block Stick Catapult
Have fun launching paper balls with a quick and easy homemade catapult!
What you need:
Ice block sticks (at least 10)
Elastic bands (at least 3)
A Small bottle cap
Glue gun or masking tape
Did you give it a go?
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What to do:
Take two ice block sticks, stack one on top of the other and tie them together with an elastic band.
Create a stack of about five ice block sticks and slide them in between the two tied sticks.
Secure the middle stack of sticks by sliding an elastic band onto one side. Twist it to tighten it around the stack and then loop it over the other two sticks. Do exactly the same for the other side of the stack.
Make sure your elastic bands make a secure cross on the front of your catapult and pull the stack as far down to the end of the catapult as possible.
Attach a bottle cap to your catapult with glue or tape. This will be the bucket where you load the balls for launching.
Roll up paper balls and launch them with your catapult by pulling the cap back and then releasing it. You could also use pompoms, cotton balls, marshmallows or other small lightweight objects.
Record the distance your objects travel. Why do some objects go further than others?
Try taking ice block sticks away from the stack. Does this make your launch better or worse? Why do you think this is?
How does it work?
If you throw an object you would have to use much more effort and energy than it takes for you to use the catapult. But if you aren’t using all your own energy to throw it you may wonder how the object travels so far in the air...
Energy can be transferred from one object to another, so as you prepare your catapult you are adding energy to it, this energy becomes ‘stored’ or ‘potential’ energy.
Your homemade catapult uses elastic potential energy which is stored in the ice block stick as you bend it ready for launching.
The stored or potential energy is released as you let go of the stick- it is converted into energy of motion which is transferred to your paper ball or launch object that soars through the air!