How far can a mousetrap car travel?
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!
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.
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.
Why is my mousetrap car not going far?
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.
What makes a good mousetrap car?
You’ll want to design your car to have a light body, have large rear wheels, and you’ll want to position the mousetrap as close to the front of the car as possible. Having a light bodied mouse trap car allows for less work to have to be done by the mousetrap getting the car going.
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.
Why are CDs good for mousetrap cars?
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. CD/DVD wheels can slice through the air with very little air resistance and they have very little rotational inertia.
What piece is considered to be the power source of a mousetrap car?
A mouse-trap car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy that can be stored in a wound up mouse-trap spring. The most basic design is as follows: a string is attached to a mouse-trap’s lever arm and then the string is wound around a drive axle causing the mouse-trap’s spring to be under tension.
What happens if the mousetrap is placed too far from the drive axle?
6. What happens if the mousetrap is mounted too far from the drive axle? You will lose pulling force or energy to friction.
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.
How do you build a speed and distance mousetrap car?
The greater the ratio of the diameter of the axle to the wheel, the less force will be required to accelerate the car. In other words, you should match a larger axle with a smaller wheel to increase acceleration. Conversely, a mousetrap racer built for distance should have a smaller axle and a larger driving wheel.
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.
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.
What kind of string is best 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.
Is overall weight important in mousetrap cars?
Reduce the most friction you can because the more friction the more energy is lost in propelling the car. Mass should also be taken into account, the more the car weighs the more energy from the mousetrap spring will be used so it’ll be best to make the car light weight.
What is the most important thing to keep in mind when designing a mousetrap car?
Traction is a major issue when it comes to building a super fast speed-trap racer. If there is not enough traction between the drive wheels and the floor then your mousetrap racer will not be able to accelerate as designed. Use drive wheels that provide a lot of traction on the floor.
How long should dowel be on mousetrap car?
If you have larger drive wheels, these should go on the rear axle and the smaller wheels on the front axle. Your axle dowels should extend past your wheel about 1″ (2.5 cm). around your dowel just outside each of wheels. The elastic band will keep the wheels from falling off of the car.
How long should the lever arm be on a mousetrap car?
For maximum speed, position the mousetrap 2 1/4 inches from the drive axle and cut the lever arm to a length of 4 1/4 inches. The lever arm can be cut using a dremel tool or by using a fine tooth hobby saw. The lever arm should always be “just” long enough to reach the drive axle or performance will be compromised.
Where should I place the mousetrap for the best performance?
For optimal performance the mouse trap should be positioned on the chassis so that the tip of the lever arm falls directly above the drive axle when the mouse trap is in the fully wound position (as pictured bellow). If the mouse trap is not aligned properly with the drive axle energy will be wasted off the start.
What is the best way to build a mousetrap car for distance?
To adapt your mousetrap car for distance, use large, light wheels for less friction and greater inertia. For example, old CDs make great wheels to increase distance. If your car is a rear-wheel drive car, set the wheels on a narrow rear axle so the wheels turn more and travel further.