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.
What is the best width for a mousetrap car?
Max Length – 45 cm. Max Width – 20 cm. Height – 20 cm. Min ground clearance – 4 cm. Mass – 2 kg.
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.
How long should a mousetrap car lever arm be?
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.
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.
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.
Where should the mousetrap be placed on a mousetrap car?
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 mousetrap vehicle is in it’s fully wound position (as pictured bellow).
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.
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 average speed of a mousetrap car?
(Mousetrap cars typically operate with speeds in the range 0–3 m/s.
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.
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.
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 best amount of wheels for a mousetrap car?
So what is better, three wheels or four wheels? The answer depends on the contest, if we are to build a super fast accelerating speed-trap racer then over coming rotational inertia is one of the main objectives therefor three wheels will always do better than four wheels when it comes to performance.
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.
How do you reduce friction on a mousetrap car?
Try to have a minimum gap of 1/8 inch between the frame and any spacers (or wheels) in order to decrease any rubbing friction. Use thrust washers and graphite powder between spacers (or wheels) and the frame to help reduce the rubbing friction.
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.
Why is my mousetrap car not going straight?
If a mousetrap vehicle is not traveling straight then there is one reason and one reason only: the front and rear axles are not parallel to one another!
What materials are good for mousetrap car?
A mousetrap car can be made from cardboard or balsa wood with CD’s for wheels and axles of wood or brass tubing. Power to drive the wheels is provided by a mousetrap to which a wand and string is attached to the snap arm.