======Marshmallow Catapult======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Exploring Potential and Kinetic Energy with a Catapult
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  *See links below for method. 




====Links==== 
Marshmallow Catapult - Lincolnwood Library: 
{{youtube>CKH4RxHHwuE?}}\\

How to make a Marshmallow Catapult - by Science Ireland - Declan Holmes: 
{{youtube>5V6_TkUwqDU?}}\\

📄 Marshmallow Catapult - Questacon: [[https://www.questacon.edu.au/learn-and-play/activities/marshmallow-catapult]]\\

📄 The Marshmallow Catapult Lab: [[https://cpennypacker82.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/2/4/59245729/marshmallowcatapultlab.pdf]]\\


====Variations====
  *Change the spoon size or stiffness to alter launch strength.  
  *Adjust the number of base sticks to modify stability.  
  *Try launching different lightweight objects (cotton balls, pom poms, or paper wads).  
  *Build a larger catapult using wooden rulers or craft planks for comparison.



====Safety Precautions====
  *Always aim the catapult away from people, animals, or fragile objects.  
  *Even small projectiles like marshmallows can cause injury if aimed at eyes or faces.  
  *Use only soft, lightweight objects for launching.  
  *Test in a clear area free from breakable items.




====Questions to Consider====
  *Why does the catapult fling objects so easily? (Elastic potential energy stored in bent materials is released as kinetic energy when the spoon springs back.)  
  *What happens if you pull the spoon back farther? (More potential energy is stored, leading to greater launch speed—but too far can damage the catapult.)  
  *Which parts of the catapult store the energy? (The rubber bands, spoon, and flexible sticks.)  
  *Why does the marshmallow keep flying after release? (It has momentum and continues moving until forces like air resistance and gravity stop it.)  
  *What is the difference between a catapult, ballista, and trebuchet? (All use stored energy, but the mechanisms for storing and releasing that energy differ.)