![]() Trebuchets “are a TYPE of catapult, using gravity (with a counterweight) or traction (men pulling down), to propel the arm and often employing a sling at the end of the arm for greater distance.” According to Jarod’s Forge, a history blog written by museum curator Jarod Kearny, a catapult is “any device that throws an object, although it commonly refers to the medieval siege weapon” a catapult uses tension for its throwing force. What’s the difference, you ask, between a trebuchet and a catapult? I looked it up for you. While protesters favoring European integration built a trebuchet in the capital city of Kiev (or Kyiv), government forces adopted an ancient Roman shielding tactic called the testudo, Latin for “tortoise.” “ The Battle for Ukraine Is Being Fought Using Ancient Military Tactics” read a January 22 headline in Business Insider. Trebuchets have been in the news lately because of their role in the antigovernment protests that have been taking place in Ukraine since November 2013. The word was imported from French into English in the 13th century, when the device was invented the French verb trabucher meant “to overturn, overthrow,” from tra- (from Latin trans-, here expressing “displacement”) and Old French buc “trunk, bulk.” (Source: Online Etymology Dictionary.)ĭrawing from Real World Physics Problems, which notes that “the payload could be thrown a far distance and do considerable damage, either by smashing down walls or striking the enemy while inside their stronghold.” Next time you open the lid of a can, or sweep your floor with a broom, know that you’re using the same awesome technology that shook Medieval castles.Trebuchet: A stone-throwing engine of war. Counterweight levers are used by both the cranes that build our tallest skyscrapers, and by the light switches that help illuminate our rooms. The same concepts that guided the construction of trebuchets still shape the world around us. Our tools are different now - but the desire to build and to learn is universal. The super-heavy counterweight helps get the lighter projectile moving really fast.įew new trebuchets are built these days. As soon as the elephant sits down, the mouse goes up, fast! The same thing happens with a trebuchet. Imagine if a mouse and an elephant were trying to play on a seesaw. ![]() But a trebuchet’s counterweight is much, MUCH heavier than its projectile. On a seesaw, the people on either end weigh about the same.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |