During Halloween at Dawson there are many different competitions such as the Dizzy Izzy, the costume contest, and the pumpkin slingshot competition. I asked Mr. Friedman to help explain how to use physics to win the slingshot competition. He helped make these three simple and easy steps to launch your pumpkin further than any other:

Step 1: Assemble your team

The first thing you will want to do is build a team. Ideally, you should try to have at least two tall kids who can hold the slingshot to give you a higher angle, and someone who can pull the slingshot far back.

Step 2: Select your pumpkin

The next thing you will want to do is select your pumpkin. You should try to pick a pumpkin that is both small enough to fit in the slingshot, and one that is dense to help it fly further.

Step 3: Launch

The final step is to launch the pumpkin. You will want to lift the slingshot as high as you can, and bring the pumpkin as far back and close to the ground as possible. Once you are in position you will need to release and watch the pumpkin fly as you claim your victory.