A trebuchet is a kind of catapult. Catapults can refer to a large class of machines for hurling projectiles over distances, and they use different methods to store the energy, or create the force for launching, such as the tension and torsion in ropes and springs. A trebuchet uses a counterweight lifted high up before launching to store the energy, which would drag one end of a pole down, flinging the object from a sling on the other end.
However, the word "catapult" is also used extensively to describe a specific kind of catapults that use the tension or torsion in a rope, which also leads to different purposes. A trebuchet is a larger and more robust machine that can launch heavier projectiles up to 350 pounds over a longer distance, making it more suitable for attacking fortifications. Meanwhile, a catapult for throwing objects is smaller and more portable, but also requires more maintenance for the rope. Such catapults are also used to project darts accurately like a bow, but with much larger darts and longer ranges.
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