Fruit on the wing
Published 11:44 am Friday, April 30, 2010
St. Aloysius High School physics students launch a test ball with their trebuchet Thursday morning before beginning catapulting of a cantaloupe. The students teamed with humanities students to build the device. The physics students were learning about trajectory, the moment of inertia and rotational dynamics. The humanities students were learning about the Renaissance Age and the Dark Ages, when trebuchets were commonly used. With a throwing weight of 270 pounds, the trebuchet could launch a cantaloupe 80 or 90 yards.