On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:28:04 -0500, Tom E wrote
(in article <2ff8db9.0407160928.973b22f@posting.google.com>):
Hi,
This is a very political group. I hope it is appropriate to request
help with a school lesson issue.
I will be teaching physics part time at a local private school in the
fall. I am a business person by profession who accepted a
"retirement" package (not to be confused with a powder) so I am doing
some teaching to supplement.
I would like to find info tying Newton's Laws to the action of a
trebuchet. I have found quite a bit on the internet already but
nothing that actually breaks down the forces in play as a trebuchet
fires and ties them to Newton's Laws. I did find some higher math
treatments but they are beyond the skills of most high schools seniors
and the time we will have in class.
Try <http://www.army.mil/> and <http://www.usmc.mil/>.
Then try seaching for "artillery", then add "theory. I would imagine
you could also use "Technical Manual" [TM] and "Field Manual" [FM].
The Army's Artillery School (I think) is Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Thanks in advance for your help. I would be glad to post my work
later in the fall if this activity is a success in class.
Note: Not to insult anyone's intelligence, a trebuchet is a gravity
powered siege engine used in the middle ages before the widespread
adoption of cannon.
Thanks; that saved me from having to look it up (the only "artillery" I
know are HAWK missiles, and Pershing 1's & 2a's).
The mechanics of it have been extensively
studied. A number of school competitions are held around the US and
Europe. Wright State Univ sponsors one each year "for people who like
to hurl".
Don't use "hurl" around Soldiers and
Marines - they'll get all confused.
http://www.cs.wright.edu/trebuchet/trebdsgn.shtml
Tom
If I can help, give me a typed yell at:
grayshockley at gmail.com
++ Gray //
.
