Catapult Grades 6-12

The goal of this competition is to design and build a catapult that can hit specific targets with precision and accuracy. The most acquired points for the targets hit will win the game. The engineering design process of building the catapult will also be judged. “What issues did you face in the design process” and “How did you solve it?” will be asked to the students.

Rules:

1. Catapults must be up to 10 feet from the target
2. Once the competition starts, no adjustments or repairs can be made
3. Student must be able to carry the catapult alone and it has to fit through the classroom door
4. Catapults must be examples of a lever; no slingshots allowed.
5. Must have a marshmallow holder attached to catapult.

Competition: 

Setup: 1 bullseye target will be used and set up on the floor.  4 marshmallows will be given to each team. The operator must have marshmallow holder attached to their catapult to launch the ball. The target on the Bullseye chart will be awarded points based on how close they are to the bullseye, precise, or accurate (Dispersion). 

Whichever team has the most points will be the winner. The teams will be able to compete in different rounds depending on time.

Catapult Example

Points:

Design– 10 points
Accuracy – 10 points
Precision – 5 points
Both Accuracy and Precision: 15 points
Bullseye: 15 points
Chart: Detailed below