Taking place in the grassy field behind our Seminole Aquatics Center, Ms. Morgan’s AP Physics C: Mechanics students were running trials of their very own trebuchets. She does this activity every year after wrapping up first semester’s topics of energy, rotational motion, and angular momentum. Ms. Morgan states that by working in groups of 3-5, “they have to build a trebuchet, which requires that they have and a sling and not a catapult. [It] has to launch a tennis ball at least ten meters, with at least three trials of measurements. They’re [also] trying to get the greatest distance to counterweight ratio.” Her students were given 6-7 weeks to work on the project, but she jokingly admits that “they built it all [over the] weekend.”

All of the trebuchets were lined up side by side, each slinging a tennis ball across the field. Most of the them were built out of ply wood with a height of 3-4 feet tall, each varying in weight. They were all unique in design but had the same main components: the frame, a counterweight, arm, pivot, hook, and sling. Ms. Morgan’s students had built the trebuchets from start to finish, often drilling and hammering everything together. The end results were all very impressive, and although they didn’t work with 100 percent accuracy, her students constantly troubleshooted their machines and made them work to the best of their abilities. One group even incorporated a rug into the frame of their trebuchet, which was a funny yet effective addition.

Mr. Delbrey, the 11th and 12th grade IB counselor, took some time out of his office to come see the trebuchets. He says, “I mean, it’s pretty cool, I never got to do this in high school. I was invited last minute by Jeremiah [Hidayat], and as soon as I heard him say it I was like, yeah I’m in. It’s pretty cool to see–I don’t know how to put one of these together. I’m very proud of them.” 

Students from Ms. Morgan’s other classes also came to see their friends’ trebuchet performance, definitely making the activity a lot more memorable. They each seemed to be proud of their machines and very eager to demonstrate them in motion. It was an amazing experience to see how everyone used the knowledge they learned in class and applied it in a collaborative, hands-on project. Great job to everyone and a big thank you to Ms. Morgan for letting the Seminole Times witness the trebuchets first hand!