Locke said their trebuchet could deliver "a half-ton of force," while Boone did not know how a trebuchet differed from a regular catapult, admitting he probably couldn't even spell it.
Trivia[]
A trebuchet is a medieval siege weapon and was possibly invented in China. While superficially similar, a trebuchet is distinct from a catapult, which uses tension to fling a projectile; a trebuchet uses a counterweight. A catapult builds tension in the arm in order to fling a projectile when that tension is released; a trebuchet holds a counterweight in place and the release of the counterweight flings the projectile, with no tension in the arm.
Locke and Boone's trebuchet is different from a regular one. Medieval trebuchets shoot objects forward, whereas theirs had a simple placement modification to swing down. Instead of flinging an object into the air, their trebuchet moved a sharp object downward.
