Ib Myp Year 9 Simple Machines Essay

The trebuchet is a large machine of the trebuchet family formerly used as a siege weapon and now for history reenactment, recreational or engineering purposes. It was formerly one of the most powerful weapons in history, being able to fire a projectile to a distance of up to three hundred yards accurately. It consists of a lever arm laid across a supporting crossbeam (the fulcrum), a heavy counterweight on one end, and a sling on the other. The sling would hold the load (projectile) during battle and eject it on operation of the lever arm. The weight end is usually about a fourth of the length of the resistance end, as the counterweight would be more than four times heavier than the projectile for maximum accuracy and power. Usually, a group of soldiers would hold the longer end and the sling down to keep the counterweight in the air, then let go, resulting in the counterweight falling due to gravity and propelling the projectile forward as it leaves the sling. Due to the projectile flying in a high arc, it can bypass most castle walls and attack the defenders or destroy the walls with its power, making it an effective and often used siege weapon in various wars during the Middle Ages.

The trebuchet is rather effective at its purpose of compromising a besieged area’s defense. Before the invention of the trebuchet, siege warfare would usually require a large number of well-trained attackers waiting for the defenders to eventually starve or attempt to burn them down. However, some surrounded fortifications are self-sufficient and/or fireproof, and the attackers would have the disadvantage of being too low to see the defenders or hide from aerial attacks, let alone attempt to organize and launch any effective attack. With the trebuchet, the attackers could now either attack the defenders behind their walls, or use the trebuchet’s torque to damage the actual wall. The trebuchet’s projectiles usually include heavy rocks, Greek fire (an incendiary liquid), diseased