Wildcats fling Rams in trebuchet competition

by Eva Gucker

A battle between students at Pittsford and North Adams-Jerome occurred Tuesday, January 13, but the location was not on the football field or in the gymnasium; it was inside Mr. Burger’s classroom. Over a span of four weeks, students in Mr. Burger’s physics class were supposed to be preparing a trebuchet to use to compete against other students designs. North Adams students brought their trebuchets to Pittsford for a competition among the two classes with a highly sought-after prize - lunch from Mr. Burger.

A trebuchet is a catapult completely propelled by gravity. Students were told to build a trebuchet using any materials. The only requirements were that it be less than one meter tall. All types of designs were seen at the competition and the process of building was different for everyone. “My trebuchet build was postponed very often, and I made mine out of plastic,” said Jeff Page. Distance and accuracy were both going to be measured in the competition, so students had to consider both of these when building their trebuchets.
Mr. Burger had quite the set-up with wildcat and ram targets for students to hit. Each class took turns firing marshmallows and golf balls with their trebuchets, one at a time. Pittsford was able to hit more targets, therefore winning the competition.

Students found this a fun way to show creativity and apply what they have learned this year in physics. “School is supposed to be fun sometimes,” added Mr. Burger. The results all varied in the competition. Students used their ingenuity to design varying trebuchets. “The purpose was to get some experience with engineering and building things,” said Mr. Burger.

Another experience interacting with students from another school was beneficial. “Any time kids work together in groups, it usually tends to be successful,” said Mr. Burger. The competition and communication with NA-J will hopefully continue to add to the physics class.