Clothespin Catapult
Catapults are a fun way to combine physics and engineering! Follow along to make your own catapult.
Materials
- Clothespins
- Spoon
- Alternative: cap taped to craft stick
- Tape or hot glue
- Something to launch! i.e pom pom, marble, marshmallow
- Tape or glue clothespins together as pictured.
- I used 3, but you can choose how many you use.
- Then attach the spoon or craft stick to the clothespins on the side that you squeeze.
- Press down as pictured to launch your object!
- Measure how far your object is launched.
- Launch a heavy object and a light object, which one travels further?
- I used 3 clothespins, but do you think the catapult will launch objects further if you use more or less clothespins? Test it out and let us know!
- Are you able to hit a target with this catapult?
When you are preparing the catapult for launch, you add energy to it. This energy is stored in the launching device as potential (or stored) energy. In this case, you’re storing energy in the clothespins as you push them down! When you let go, that stored energy is released and turns into the energy of motion, launching your object into the air!