Catapult

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/catapult

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest documented use?Ancient Greece, circa 400 BCE, with evidence suggesting earlier development
2. What is the primary energy storage mechanisms?Torsion (twisted ropes/sinews) and gravitational potential energy (counterweights)
3. How did a catapult throw a rock?Some catapults used twisted ropes or sinews that stored energy like a spring. When the ropes were released, the arm swung quickly and sent the rock flying. Others used a heavy weight that fell, pulling the arm up and launching the stone.
4. What are the different types of catapults?The ballista used twisted ropes to fire small, fast bolts, while the onager had a single arm lifted by a counterweight to hurl big stones that could break walls.

Artillery: Large-caliber weapons, such as cannons and missile launchers, used in warfare.
Torsion Power: The energy stored in twisted materials, released to drive mechanical devices.
Counterweight Mechanism: A system using a heavy mass to generate force through gravity, powering a lever or arm.