Chuchu
Mouse Trap Car Project
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To construct a car powered by a mousetrap.
This car works when one end of a string is tied to the arm on the mousetrap and the other end is wound around an axis. By winding the string around the axle the mousetrap’s spring is stretched providing stored energy. As the mousetrap is released it pulls the string off of the axle causing the wheels to turn and making the car move.
PROJECT
The objective of this project is to design a MOUSETRAP CAR for maximum DISTANCE and to demonstrate an understanding of the PHYSICS principles behind the design and performance of a MOUSETRAP CAR.
The project consists of 5 phases as follows: *Mousetrap Car Design *Mousetrap Car Construction *Mousetrap Car Performance *Mousetrap Car Physics Analysis * Mousetrap Car Self-Assessment
MOUSETRAP CAR CONSTRUCTION:
Build a vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standard-sized mousetrap that will travel the greatest linear distance.
PROJECT RULES:
1. The device must be powered by a single mousetrap.
2. The mousetrap can not be physically altered except for the following: four holes can be drilled only to mount the mousetrap to the frame and a mousetrap’s spring can be removed only to adjust the length of its lever arm.
3. The device cannot have any additional potential or kinetic energy at the start other than what can be stored in the mousetrap’s spring itself. (This also means that you cannot push start your vehicle.)
4. The spring from the mousetrap cannot be altered or heat-treated.
5. The spring cannot be wound more than its normal travel distance or
180 degrees.
6. Vehicles must be self-starting. Vehicles may not receive a push in the forward direction or side direction.
7. The vehicle must steer itself in a straight line for a minimum of 5 meters.
8. Distance will be measured from the front of the tape at at the starting line to the point of the vehicle that
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To construct a car powered by a mousetrap.
This car works when one end of a string is tied to the arm on the mousetrap and the other end is wound around an axis. By winding the string around the axle the mousetrap’s spring is stretched providing stored energy. As the mousetrap is released it pulls the string off of the axle causing the wheels to turn and making the car move.
PROJECT
The objective of this project is to design a MOUSETRAP CAR for maximum DISTANCE and to demonstrate an understanding of the PHYSICS principles behind the design and performance of a MOUSETRAP CAR.
The project consists of 5 phases as follows: *Mousetrap Car Design *Mousetrap Car Construction *Mousetrap Car Performance *Mousetrap Car Physics Analysis * Mousetrap Car Self-Assessment
MOUSETRAP CAR CONSTRUCTION:
Build a vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standard-sized mousetrap that will travel the greatest linear distance.
PROJECT RULES:
1. The device must be powered by a single mousetrap.
2. The mousetrap can not be physically altered except for the following: four holes can be drilled only to mount the mousetrap to the frame and a mousetrap’s spring can be removed only to adjust the length of its lever arm.
3. The device cannot have any additional potential or kinetic energy at the start other than what can be stored in the mousetrap’s spring itself. (This also means that you cannot push start your vehicle.)
4. The spring from the mousetrap cannot be altered or heat-treated.
5. The spring cannot be wound more than its normal travel distance or
180 degrees.
6. Vehicles must be self-starting. Vehicles may not receive a push in the forward direction or side direction.
7. The vehicle must steer itself in a straight line for a minimum of 5 meters.
8. Distance will be measured from the front of the tape at at the starting line to the point of the vehicle that