Centripetal force is the force that
acts on an object moving in a circular path and is directed toward the center
around which the body is moving. The arm rotates in that circular motion when
the counterweight drops and the sling rotate around end of the shorter arm.
This force will increase the acceleration of the object being flung. Also
another force that is working on the catapult is gravitational force on the
counterweight, the counterweight falls due to gravity, if it were not there
than the arm would not rotate and the balloon would not be slung. Also there
are a couple forces acting upon the arm of the trebuchet, the counterweight and
the mass of the balloon. The distance of where the rod that holds the arm up
rotates will affect the force of the trebuchet. This means that the angle of
the rod compared to the arm matters.
A way to modify the centripetal
force is by elongating the sling by increasing the distance it travels around
the shorter arm. Another modification is to change the gravitational force by
increasing the mass of the counterweight, which will in turn increase the acceleration
of the balloon. To modify those forces acting upon the trebuchet one would
place the rod in a 0-90 degree angle.
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