To put a trebuchet into its "cocked" position, a team of people use their energy to hoist the counterweight. When the counterweight is raised, it gains this energy as potential energy. In this case, the potential energy is gravitational potential energy-energy that results from the position of an object in a gravitational field. The amount of gravitational potential is dependent on both the weight of the object and its position. Since the counterweight in a trebuchet is very heavy, it has a great deal of potential energy. While energy cannot be created or destroyed it can change forms. The potential energy from the raised counterweight is released and begins to fall. The downward motion of the counterweight then causes the sling to swing and the projectile to be released. The potential energy that was stored in the form of kinetic energy, to the projectile, which is released at a high velocity.
To increase the range of the trebuchet, one would have to increase the mass of the object in order to create more potential and kinetic energy within the catapult. After building up more potential and kinetic energy, it will increase the velocity which will, in effect, increase the range of where the projectile will fall.
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