Physics Mechanical 1 classes are famous for their boat races, held at the end of first semester every year. Students from all classes stuff the stands and watch enthusiastically as the boats sail forward. Some of the boats successfully cross the pool, sailing across the seas like the Black Pearl to the ecstatic roar of the crowds. Other boats rip in half and sink like the Titanic.
However, a lesser known project is the boat races’ spinoff project featured in Physics Mechanical 2. The catapult project is featured in this class, in which students build and test their own catapults and compete with each other to see who can fire their projectile farthest.
“We’ve been doing catapults for 10 or 12 years now,” Physics teacher Gail Nowels said. “Each year there is something new to see. The students draw inspiration from various sources, such as Science Olympiad, medieval adventure movies, so each student has an original and unique design.”
Having students erect their own catapult is a practical way to study real-life scenarios.
“It’s a really fun way to learn more about the subjects the classes are learning about,” Nowels said.
