Student Life

History 111 Students Bring History Alive with Trebuchet Project

Each semester, Nash Community College Instructor Chris Kent’s History 111 students to choose a history project to complete. After discussing ancient warfare from prehistory to around 1600 AD the class chose the trebuchet, arguably the most advanced siege weapon from the ancient world.  “Not only by building a trebuchet are we studying history, but we are also living it. We are bringing history alive,” said Kent.

Unlike a typical catapult that uses tension, the trebuchet uses counterweight and a sling to throw projectiles. Students saw the complexity of the device through both constructing it and solving projectile equations. The class also used a trebuchet simulator in preparation.

The trebuchet proved to be functional and with a few adjustments to initial calculations, projectiles were launched across the college’s public safety training field.

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