Trebuchet: A Medieval Siege Weapon

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Pages: 4

*Information isn't parenthetically cited, as there is no direct quote, but credit is given to source in work cited

h15477

Science 8 A, Period 6

11/20/16

Introduction

Many people know the catapult as a medieval siege weapon that is second to none. One can find the catapult in just about any game about medieval warfare such as Clash Royale, etc. However, a lesser known siege weapon, yet way more powerful one, is the trebuchet. First made in China in about 500 B.C, the trebuchet was a weapon that can even be called the atomic bomb of the medieval world. First introduced to Europe in about 500 A.D, it was used extensively to siege, or take over, enemy fortresses. Trebuchets, the name is "derived from the Old French Word trebucher meaning to throw over"(Alchin), were then introduced to England during the Siege of Dover in 1216 when the French used trebuchets to obliterate the walls of Dover Castle*. Although these weapons struck fear into all who witnessed there destructive powers, they eventually became obsolete when the canon was created. However, the purpose of this project is not to lay siege to a castle's walls, the overall purpose is to understand the physics of a trebuchet enough to modify one to improve its launch distance.
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However, the physics behind it are actually quite rudimentary. The driving force behind a trebuchet is really just gravity. First, "A very large force is applied to the shorter end of the arm, the load is on the other longer end of the arm with the fulcrum in