Physics Of A Trebuchet

A trebuchet is built by using the energy of a falling counterweight to launch the payload, using mechanical advantage to get the highest speed possible. For maximum launch speed the counterweight has to be much heavier than the payload. This is due to the face that the counterweight will fall quickly to launch the payload. A trebuchet basically involves a lever and a sling. On one end of the lever, there is the counterweight, which is the force for the trebuchet. The sling is then attached to the other end of the lever. The trebuchet relies on the principle of the counterweight, which stores potential energy that can be converted to kinetic energy of the payload. This action will then cause the payload to launch into the air. To achieve the