V. PROJECTILE CONTEST

2008 rules

A. Objective

To build a launching device for a standard projectile (golf ball). The launching device must propel the golf ball to one of 6 possible target areas as shown in the diagram. The golf ball must first clear a 50 cm barrier placed 50 cm within the 1.5 m gap between the launch quadrants and the target area. (See Diagram page 12). The golf ball must then bounce once before hitting the target.

B. Apparatus

1. The golf ball will be provided by the judges. These will be standard quality golf balls.

2. The launch device must be made by the team, made up of three members. The launcher can not incorporate any commercially available propelling device such as golf ball launcher, dart guns, etc. In the case of teams with multiple launchers, one launcher must be chosen prior to the draw for launch and target quadrants.

The "launch position" will be interpreted to mean the point where the ball lasts contacts the launching device; this point must be below 50 cm. The position of the ball within the launching device where the ball is released may be above 50 cm.

3. The launch will be made from floor level in one of the launch quadrants. The launch must occur below the barrier height. The quadrant of the launch position (as shown in the diagram) will be determined by the luck of the draw.

4. The target will be one of the one meter square areas within the defined landing area, with a bullseye in its middle. The landing area will be chosen by the luck of the draw.

C. The Competition

1. The position of the target will be determined by the Luck of the Draw, and will be one of 6 locations as shown in the diagram.

2. The position of the launching device will be within one of 4 quadrants, again set by the luck of the draw. The launch device may not extend beyond the vertical plane defined by the front edge of its launch quadrant. It may extend beyond the back, however. The golf ball will have to clear the 50 cm barrier prior to its single bounce. The ball may not touch the floor before passing over the 50 cm high barrier.

3. One test launch will be allowed. After the launch and target locations are drawn, there can be one test launch, followed by two launches - the best of these to yield the figure to be used for Event Score. Students will be given 10 minutes to adjust the device for the official launch and to test the bounce ability of the official projectile.

4. No adjustment to launches may be made during the judging.

5. Human power not allowed.

D. Judging and Scoring

1. The target will be a bullseye located at the center of one of the target areas, selected by the luck of the draw.

2. Upon instruction of the judges the projectile will be launched.

3. The projectile must land within the designated one meter square target area.

4. The judges will measure the radial distance r from the Bullseye to the landing point of the projectile in the landing area.

5. Event Score will be the smallest value of the two shots. The teams shall be ranked and the team with the least distance will be awarded 40 points, with other scores based on Event Score ranking.

6. Team Scores will be in inverse order of Event Scores: 40, 39, 38, 37, etc.