Final answer:
The purpose of a catapult is to launch objects like stones or flammable materials, typically during historical siege warfare. The option that correctly represents a catapult's purpose is 1) To launch a ball.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of a catapult is to launch projectiles using a force that thrusts the object forward. In historical contexts, catapults were used to hurl objects like stones or flammable materials during siege warfare to break down fortifications or cause chaos within enemy ranks. Options 2, 3, and 4 involving launching a rocket, plane, or car are not the typical uses for a catapult, although similar principles of projectile motion are involved in their launch mechanisms.
Projectile motion is a key concept in physics that describes the motion of an object thrown or projected into the air, subject to only the forces of gravity and air resistance. This motion is characterized by a horizontal component of velocity that remains constant (ignoring air resistance) and a vertical component that is affected by gravity. When a student uses a simulation to blast a Buick out of a cannon, they are applying the principles of projectile motion to analyze the trajectory and impact of the launched object.
If we consider modern examples, catapult mechanisms are sometimes used to launch planes from the decks of aircraft carriers (aircraft catapults), but the classic function of a catapult does not include launching vehicles like rockets, planes, or cars as its primary objective.