The Terrifying Physics of the Trebuchet

Invention on Instagram: "A trebuchet is a gravity powered siege machine developed in the Middle Ages to launch heavy projectiles over long distances. It works by using a large counterweight attached to one end of a long beam. When the counterweight drops, it converts gravitational potential energy into rotational motion, swinging the opposite end of the beam upward at high speed. At the throwing end, a sling holds the projectile and releases it at a precise point in the swing. This sling increas