Physics of Catapults Essay - 1122 Words

The ballista, or shield piercer, was first developed by the Greeks using the same principles as a bow and arrow. Its primary use was to, as the name suggests, pierce enemy shields, since normal bows lacked the power to do so. Early versions of the ballista include the gastrophetes, which is nothing more than an enlarged bow that can be braced against the users body. http://members.lycos.nl/onager/GastrophetesPic.jpg As time went on ballistas were improved to become larger and more powerful, eventually becoming mounted mechanisms that could be operated by two or more people. The Romans eventually modified them to throw stones, making them more effective in seiges against walled†¦show more content†¦Using this relationship assumes that the force constant is constant, or that moving the arms back 2 meters gives twice the force that moving them back 1 meter would do, which is most likely not correct, but close enough for a general assumption of the force to be made. When the force is applied, the projectile is accelerated to the end of the ballista, at which point it released with a velocity v and an angle q from the horizontal. The velocity can be found using the kinematic equation v2=2ax, where a is the acceleration and x is the length of the ballista that the projectile is accelerated upon. Since F=ma and F in this case is -kd, the equation can be simplified into v2=2-kdx/m. After it is released, the projectile obeys the laws of projectile motion, disregarding air resistance. Therefore, the range of the ballista can be given by the equation R=v2sin2q/g, where g is the accleration due to gravity. Mangonel History The Romans, finding the ballista difficult to construct, simplified the design and created the onager. It had one arm instead of two, and is what is most commonly identified as a catapult today. http://members.lycos.nl/onager/OnagerPic.jpg During the Dark Ages, the French were able to re-invent the onager, and they called it the mangonneau, and it became known in England as the mangonel. MangonelShow MoreRelatedResearch Testing the Shot Distance of the Crossbow, the Catapult, and the Slingshot1103 Words   |  4 Pagesand test different weapons from those eras. I am finding out which shoots the furthest the crossbow, the catapult, or the slingshot and if I do not know how they work, I cannot compare them to each other so I decided to research this. My hypothesis is that the catapult will shoot the furthest and I think that I am right do to previous research by professionals. 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Personal and Imaginative †Scarred for Life Free Essays

This was it. My legs were lead; my head throbbed violently. It felt as if the energy within me had slowly oozed away. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal and Imaginative – Scarred for Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now I dragged my feet like I was being held down by iron chains. Gathering every ounce of my might, I heaved myself towards the bench- and collapsed upon it. Where was I? No clue. That was all I’d been saying to myself since the taxi left. And how long ago was that? Two hours†¦three hours†¦four hours? Still no clue. I hated myself for being so thick. If it wasn’t for my ‘thick’ brain, I would have been home by now. Home. I felt useless. â€Å"What the hell you doin’ ere?† I looked up so fast it made my neck click; my anger rose. It was a brown haired boy who I guessed was trying to pass the time. I found him annoying. I wasn’t in the mood of talking to anyone-I hardly ever was. â€Å"You tell me.† I replied stiffly. â€Å"Ain’t seen you around this place.† I felt like punching him. I hated this about some people, butting in when they were least wanted. â€Å"That’s ’cause I ain’t from dis place.† I grumbled, glancing at him, thinking how much longer is he going to stay? There was a pause. Then, just as soon as I expected him to leave, he demanded, â€Å"Where you from then?† â€Å"Look yeh, I don’t know you an’ I ain’t in da mood. So move.† I stated through gritted teeth, giving him the dirtiest look I could muster. He finally got the message and went off, gruffly. I didn’t understand myself; I never used to be like this. My mood switched within seconds and I knew that many people found it hard around me. Even my own mates kept their distance from me at times. But they understood that I had a past. Life had changed a lot for me, and since that change, I was never the same person. I cast my eyes around, taking in my surroundings. Even though the street lamps were alight, the road seemed unusually dark. I squinted and could just make out the scenes of every day life before me. Here and there figures would move about; some closing their shops, others walking hastily, making their way home. I gazed blankly at the movements, not bothering to move from my seat. Eventually, the very last of the people edged away towards the end of the street, their silhouettes disappearing from under the very last street lamp. Silence followed. Almost radically, a harsh wind had begun to bluster, causing my numb face to sting. Fed up with my position, I pulled up my hood, got up from the rigid bench and stepped on to the road. The sound of my trainers hitting against the pavement seemed to echo into the night, leaving behind a lethal dead-like silence like that of graveyard. Trying to block out this atmosphere, I began to recount the event that occurred on the taxi†¦ I couldn’t believe my stupidity. Losing my mobile was one thing- but losing my purse-on the same day†¦a bit extreme huh? And to make matters worse, being the idiot that I am, I tried to get home in a taxi when I was totally broke! The reaction the driver had when he realised I wasn’t going pay was severe to say the least. I knew people had strange solutions but leaving me in the middle of God-knows-where was a bit too strange. Sad or what? Well, what was done was done and I knew there was no way in changing it. Thinking about it wasn’t going to get me anywhere. My main priority was to see how to get home. I inhaled deeply as the bleak air rushed in to my blood. What was the point in living when surviving was so hard? Upon reaching the end of the street, I became aware of the bend which had not been visible to me from the bench. It was murky and even at this distance I could not make out what lay on its other side. As I began to make my way through it, my stomach gave a discomforting squirm. I didn’t know why that was? Was it the darkness that had just fallen over me? Or the strengthening of the silence which had now reached its peak? Being able to distinguish traces of a light, I became relieved to know that I had entered just another street. This time there were no shops, but instead stood half a dozen or so houses, which I could tell were grand as well as ancient. They were positioned with a great deal of space and on either side of the road which lay in front of me. At the far end, I could discriminate the park which stood out due to its rusty iron gate. As my vision became clearer, I noticed a dark profile standing within the shadow of the great oak tree. Who would be out at this time of night? Or was it a trick of light? Sensing movement, I knew for sure that it wasn’t just a fragment of my imagination. My heart began to beat loudly, vibrating heavily in my throat. Now I knew I wasn’t alone. It ambled out from under the tree; light shining upon its limp body. Slowly, it began dragging its body in an oddly held manner. It – he was hurt. A slow moaning uttered from his mouth, and my fear turned into grief on seeing the pain radiating from him. On realising that his direction was headed my way, I heaved my body behind the nearest bush, afraid of being seen. From his gnawed, wrinkly hands, I realised he was well aged. His face was entirely hidden, due to the hood of his festering coat. He had now reached a house opposite me, one which I had not noticed due to its miniscule size. It was dilapidated and it showed no sign of warmth. Was this his house? I heard keys dropping, breaking the silence, and watched as he bent to pick them up. As he did so, his hood fell from his face. I screamed†¦ Everything was indistinct, the face flashed in front of me again, yet this time it looked younger by a few years. I could hear loud terrible screaming from within my own head. So loud that I thought that my head would explode. The screaming went on, never ending. The pain searing in the shrill cries was too much to take in. The screaming didn’t come from the face, yet I recognised it. But it couldn’t be! I tried to cry for help but nothing came out. Slowly, the picture blurred and my vision became focused†¦ My inhalation was hard, my heart aching endlessly. I tried to hold my breath, trembling from head to toe. Cold sweat trickled down my face and my clothes were soaked, clinging to my skin. How much time had passed? A door slammed shut, its reverberation hanging in the atmosphere. I turned my head towards the house- had the man just gone in? It had been ten years. Ten long, painful years since I had heard my brother’s voice, shrieking with agonising pain just the same as on that night. The night that I last saw him alive. Was it just a coincidence that I had just seen the convict? All I remembered was the assassin’s terribly scarred face, which had appeared there on the day my brother had fought eagerly for his life, aiming viciously at his face. This man was marked – scarred for life. Since then, I had promised myself to find the man who had finished my little brother off- and now that I had found him, there was no way I was going to let him escape. Not this time. No way†¦ How to cite Personal and Imaginative – Scarred for Life, Papers

Formation Of Government Essay Research Paper The free essay sample

Formation Of Government Essay, Research Paper The formation of authorities is one of the cardinal subjects for both Hobbes and Locke. Whether or non work forces of course form a authorities, or must organize a authorities, is based on adult male s basic nature. Harmonizing to Hobbes, a authorities must be formed to continue life and prevent loss of belongings. Harmonizing to Locke, a authorities arises to protect life and belongings. Governments are born of inequality and formed to administrate equality. Hobbes goes into a batch of item refering adult male s interactions with one another including ways in which adult male can seek to populate together in Peace, and Unity ( page 69 ) . However, Hobbes focuses on the interactions of adult male seeking the same end. In any system of limited resources, Competition of Riches, Honour, Command, or other power enclineth to Contention, Enmity, and War: Because the manner of one Competitor, to achieving of his desire, is to kill, subdue, supplant, or repell the other ( page 70 ) . Hobbes besides deals with the qualities which adult male possess, and how they affect a adult male s basic nature. Man who is magnetic leads others to confide in him. Charisma combined with military ability causes work forces to follow others as leaders. Those who think of themselves as leaders, the Work force that have a strong sentiment of their ain wisdome in affair of authorities, are disposed to Ambition ( page 72 ) . Harmonizing to Hobbes Nature hath made work forces so equall, in the modules of organic structure, and head ; as that though there bee found one adult male sometimes obviously stronger in organic structure, or of quicker head so another ; yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between adult male, and adult male, is non so considerable ( page 86-87 ) . Furthermore adult male tend to see himself as wisest in affairs, whether or non others may make things better, and that there is no great mark of equal distribution, than that every adult male is contended with his portion ( page 87 ) . Hobbes and Locke consider the formation of authorities from adult male s ain nature, whether or non authorities is formed because adult male is a societal animate being or if authorities is formed to continue society. Harmonizing to Locke, adult male must non believe that all authorities in the universe is the merchandise merely of force and force, and that work forces live together by no other regulations but that of animals ( page 1 ) . To understand political power right, and deduce it from its original, we must see what province all work forces are of course in, and that is, a province of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their ownerships and individuals, as they think fit, within the bounds of the jurisprudence of nature ( page 3 ) . Unlike Hobbes, whose Torahs of nature have to cover with adult male s preserving of his ain life, Locke chooses to use the term to the thought of ground, by stating that if adult male grounds about the cardinal concerns that authorities arises to protect life and belongings, adult male can come to certain natural decisions about how they should be protected. One of Locke s cardinal subjects is the distribution of belongings. In a province of natural copiousness all the fruits it of course produces, and beasts it feeds, belong to mankind in common ( page 18 ) . In this state of affairs the lone thing adult male of course owns is his ain individual. This no organic structure has any right to but himself ( page 18 ) . Therefore, adult male is in a manner equal, nevertheless it is an imperfect equality. Whatsoever so he removes out of the province that nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath assorted his labor with and joined to it something that is his ain, and thereby makes it his belongings ( page 18 ) . Therefore, everything belongs to mankind in general, until a adult male decides to take it upon himself to acquir e something from its pure province in nature, and since he has to work to accomplish this, the fruits of the labour are his. Locke besides believes that if person takes more than he can utilize, and it spoils, or if person takes more land than he can cultivate, or if person allows harvests to whither without being picked, they are perpetrating offenses against humanity. However if person takes an acre of land, and by seting on it and reaping the harvest produces the same sum of nutrient that can of course be found in 10 estates, they are in fact giving to mankind. Equally long as there is plentifulness of land left to take he that leaves every bit much as another can do usage of, does every bit good as return nil at all ( page 21 ) . It is human nature to dispute, nevertheless harmonizing to Hobbes in the nature of adult male, we find three principall causes of wrangle. First, Competition ; Secondly, Diffidence ; Third, Glory ( page 88 ) . Men fight for their ain addition, to protect themselves, and to get a repute as warriors. Hobbes points out the basic nature of adult male s interactions with each other, nevertheless Hobbes is non stating that adult male is basically evil, but instead, The desires, and other Passions of adult male, are in themselves no Sin ( page 89 ) . They are simply natural parts of adult male, and should be understood as such. Locke besides focuses on the nature of offense and justness. Mankind may non unless it be to make justness to an wrongdoer, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the saving of the life, the autonomy, wellness, limb or goods of another ( page 5 ) . Locke besides holds that if any one in the province of nature may penalize another for any immorality he has done, every one may make so ( page 5 ) . Furthermore, when one adult male does injury against another, he who hath received any harm, has besides the right of punishment common to him with other work forces, a peculiar right to seek reparation from him that has done it. And any other individual who finds it merely, may besides fall in with him that is injured, and help him in retrieving from the wrongdoer, so much as may do satisfaction for the injury he has suffered ( page 6 ) . Harmonizing to Hobbes, in a state of affairs without authorities to chair them, The impressions of right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice have there no topographic point ( page 90 ) . Man is by nature inclined to take every bit much as he can for his ain saving at the cost of other work forces. Therefore, adult male must make authorities, and hence, peace, because of the fright of decease and loss of belongings. Hobbes compares the Torahs of nature versus human jurisprudence by specifying the Torahs of nature as those things that are basically portion of us and order our behaviour and actions when there is no human jurisprudence to make so. Human Torahs are imposed by work forces who recognize their ain natures and freely give up some of their rights so that others will make the same. Any stable society of civilised work forces must come to this point, or autumn into devastation from within. As for Locke s province of perfect equality, all work forces are of course in that province, and remain so, boulder clay by their ain consents they make themselves members of some political society ( page 10 ) . When that happens, work forces give up some of their free rights for others of protection and warrants of safety and belongings, and therefore a authorities is born. In decision, although a authorities should protect life and prevent loss of belongings, these protections are non guaranteed. Competition and offense is still a job even though a authorities exists. Even today, throughout the universe, inequalities still exist. Although authoritiess exist there is still no warrant of equality or that every life and all belongings will be protected.