Projectile Motion Launchers

Description

This learning resource focuses on the principles of projectile motion through an engaging hands-on project. Students will explore the concepts of velocity, gravity, and trajectory, using historical launching devices such as catapults, trebuchets, and crossbows to understand how these mechanisms operate. The resource includes essential vocabulary definitions, guidance for a design challenge where students build their own launcher capable of propelling a plastic ball at least 3 meters, and analysis of energy transfer from potential to kinetic. Students will engage in collaborative discussions, retrieval practices, and reflection on the real-world applications of projectile motion in various engineering fields.