Physics Students Launch Trebuchets and Defend the Science Behind Them

Students in Mr. Bergmann’s physics class recently stepped back into the Middle Ages to study a classic siege engine, the trebuchet. While the visible objective was to launch a tennis ball toward a 20-yard target, the true purpose of the project went far deeper than distance or accuracy.

Working in teams, students were tasked with designing and constructing a functional trebuchet. However, the build was only one component of a comprehensive physics investigation. Each team analyzed the mechanics of its launch by applying Newton’s Laws of Motion, principles of kinematics, and the law of conservation of energy.

Students developed mathematical models to predict projectile motion, calculated forces acting on their systems, and evaluated how engineering decisions impacted performance. Variables such as arm length, counterweight mass, and release angle were chosen through careful reasoning and calculation.

The culminating experience was an individual “Physics Defense.” In one-on-one interviews, each student walked through the mathematical modeling and engineering logic that governed their specific design. They were expected to clearly articulate how physics principles shaped every aspect of their trebuchet’s performance.

In this course, success is not defined simply by how far the tennis ball travels. Instead, it is measured by how thoroughly each student understands the forces, motion, and energy transformations that make the launch possible. Through this hands-on project, students experienced physics not just as theory, but as something they could build, test, and defend with confidence.