How do you make a fast mousetrap car?
If you haven’t realized it yet, increasing the length of the lever arm attached to the mousetrap, increases the total mechanical advantage of the car. Therefore, to increase your car’s speed, you can reduce the length of the lever arm attached to the mousetrap.
What is the fastest mousetrap car design?
The Speed-Trap Racer is the fastest mousetrap powered racer anywhere and was designed after Doc Fizzix’s own record-setting mousetrap racer that traveled 5 meters in 1.2 seconds.
What is the best string to use for a mousetrap car?
The string has to be strong enough to handle the pulling force but flexible and thin enough to wind tightly around the drive axle. We recommend using a Kevlar based fishing line because its high strength. You should stay away from nylon fishing line and dental floss, these do not work well with mousetrap racers.
What is the best length for a mousetrap car?
Max Length – 45 cm. Max Width – 20 cm. Height – 20 cm. Min ground clearance – 4 cm.
What can I use for wheels on a mousetrap car?
DVDs/CDs make great wheels because they can slice through the air with very little resistance. Why do so many mousetrap cars use CD/DVD for wheels? Because CDs and DVDs are some of the best wheels you will ever find for building a long distance mousetrap powered vehicle.
Are big wheels better for a mousetrap car?
Wheels and Axles Larger drive wheels will have a greater travel distance per each turn compared to smaller drive wheel. It would make sense to use a super huge drive wheel so for each turn of this massive drive wheel the mousetrap vehicle will travel an incredible distance.
What is the average speed of a mousetrap car?
(Mousetrap cars typically operate with speeds in the range 0–3 m/s.
How do you make a mousetrap car go forward then backward?
To make a reversing mousetrap car go forward and then come back you will need to know how to “back-wind” the string. Back-winding the string it a technique where you first wind the string around the axle in one direction and then rewind the string in the opposite direction.
Is there a pulley in a mousetrap car?
Introduction: Mousetrap Car The car uses physics and engineering concepts such as pulleys, levers, and springs to convert potential energy to kinetic energy which moves the car along.
Why isn’t my mouse trap car working?
If you place your mousetrap vehicle on the ground and the vehicle does not move, or it does not accelerate as quickly as needed, then you can do one of two things, you can shorten the length of the lever arm and reposition the mouse trap closer to the drive axle or you can build up the drive axle with tape (see how to …
How do you make a straight line mousetrap car?
Using a small round file, remove some of the material on the back side of the axle hole on the right front in order to bring the axle hole closer to the rear and get the front axle pointed straight. Only remove small amounts of material and test run the mousetrap vehicle until the racer eventually travels straight.
What is the best wood for a mousetrap car?
Balsa wood, pine, or bass wood are excellent choices although balsa wood is somewhat brittle and hard to drill holes into without ripping. Other materials can also be used for making a light weight strong and stiff frame. These include Styrofoam, corrugated cardboard, plastics, aluminum and brass tubing.
Should a mousetrap car be heavy or light?
Lighter mousetrap vehicles will require less energy at the start and can use longer lever arms for more pulling distance. Always use lightweight components when building a mousetrap vehicle. bonus tip: lightweight mousetrap vehicles require less pulling force off the start.
How long should a mousetrap car string be?
The length of the string is about 25″. Therefore the string can be wrapped around the dowel 25/0.785 = About 31.8 times. So the minimum distance travelled will be the number of times the string can wrap around the dowel multiplied by the circumference of the wheels, which is 31.8 x 14.92 = 474.456″, or about 39.5ft!
How do you make a mousetrap car stop at a certain distance?
Setting the braking system is simple and easy: just place the vehicle at the finish line with the wing nut in the lock position, roll the vehicle back to the start line and the wing nut is set to the exact starting position.
Does the length of a mousetrap car matter?
Vehicle weight is an important factor to consider reducing if your mousetrap vehicle is not traveling far enough. The greater your mousetrap vehicle weighs, the shorter the distance it will cover and the speed it will travel. This consequence is due to the limited energy within the mousetrap.
Is friction important for a mousetrap car?
Mousetrap cars start with a limited supply of energy. This energy is used to overcome friction and propel the vehicle. The less friction acting against a moving mousetrap car, the less energy that is consumed to friction and the further that the vehicle will travel.
What makes a mousetrap car move?
A mousetrap car works on the principle of a lever. One end of the lever is connected to a spring. When a force is used to pull up the other end of the lever up, the spring tightens, storing energy. When the lever is released, the stored energy in the spring is transferred back to the lever, and the end snaps back.
What factors can prevent a mousetrap car from rolling far?
The smaller the coefficient of friction, the more efficient your mousetrap car and the greater the travel distance will be. Finding the theoretical rolling friction requires placing your mousetrap car on a smooth and flat board or ramp.
What do I need to build a mouse trap car?
Wooden snap-back mousetrap. Duct tape. 4 eye hooks. Wooden dowel that fits inside the eye hooks. Heavy cardboard. Large and small rubber bands. Foam board (usually found at a craft store) String.