There are three different technologies that fall into the catapult category: the ballista, the trebuchet and the catapult. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the differences between catapult technologies.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to brain Stuff from house stuff works dot com.
We're Smart happens him Marshall Brain with today's question, how
does a catapult work? There are three different technologies that
fall into the catapult category. They include the catapult itself,
the ballista, and the tributche. The catapult is a winch
(00:21):
down bucket that people normally think about when they hear
the word catapult. A ballista is a very large crossbow.
A tributee is a weighted beam that swings a sling
carrying the projectile. Both catapults and ballista's work by storing tension,
either in twisted ropes or in a flexed piece of wood,
(00:44):
in the same way that an archery bow does, but
on a much larger scale. A tribute tends to be
easier to build because it consists simply of a pivoting
beam and a counterweight that rotates the beam through an arc.
Catapults can launch things a fair distance. Five hundred to
a thousand feet is common. It's surprising how much energy
(01:04):
they can store. The winch is important on a catapult
because the winch allows one person to put a great
deal of energy into the catapult over a long period
of time, then all that energy releases at once throwing
the projectile. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for
this podcast? If so, please send me an email at
(01:25):
podcast at how stuff works dot com. For more on
this and thousands of other topics, go to how stuff
works dot com
BrainStuff News
Host
Lauren Vogelbaum
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.