A trebuchet was a hurling machine built to attack the walls of a castle under siege. A large stone could be hurled against a wall to break apart the wall. The m

Question

What is the speed of the stone if it hits the wall (a) just as it reaches the top of its parabolic path and (b) when it has descended to half that height? (c) As a percentage, how much faster is it moving in part (b) than in part (a)?

Answer 1

You're missing a bunch of information in this question...
Break the initial velocity down into its components.
What is the vertical velocity at the top of all projectile motion?

For part B, use the d = v0*t + 1/2 a t^2 formula, noting that the accel points down. Find the time, then use the v = v0+ a*t equation to find the vertical velocity at that time.

Now you should have a vertical and horizontal velocity, so how do you find the magnitude of those? Think right triangles...

For part C, the wording is pretty clear. (difference in vvel) / (vel at the top) * 100

Good luck!