- Give your trap a long "arm" to increase its leverage. ...
- Position the trap as far forward as possible. Assuming that your trap will be turning the rear wheels, you'll want your car's mousetrap to be far forward on the ...
- Ensure minimal friction on your moving parts. For maximum distance, you'll want to be using as close to 100% of your mousetrap's power as possible.
- If you're allowed to, use the most powerful mousetrap possible. ...
How to build the best mouse trap car?
Supply List
- Build the Body of the Mousetrap Car. Before you begin, visualize your mousetrap car. ...
- Prepare the Mouse Trap. Once you’ve gotten your cardboard taped together, you’ll need to attach the straws. ...
- Prepare the Wheels. Now to prepare the wheels for your mousetrap car. ...
- Add the Axles and Wheels. ...
- Attach the Hook. ...
How do you get a mousetrap car to go faster?
Making The Vehicle Go The Distance
- Make the vehicle's drive axle thinner. This will allow more winds of the string around the axle, making the vehicle go farther.
- Make the drive wheels larger. Wheels with a larger circumference will travel a greater distance with each revolution.
- Make the drive string longer. This will also require a longer lever arm.
- Make the vehicle lighter.
How to build a simple mousetrap car?
What You Do:
- Cut four wheels out of a piece of foam board or corrugated cardboard (adult supervision is necessary).
- Make the back wheels about double the diameter of the front wheels. (Use a compass to draw the circles, or trace around a bowl or cup.)
- Give your wheels some traction by stretching large rubber bands around each wheel. ...
How to make a fast RC car from scratch?
My Approach to the Overall Design
- Import a front and side view and scale to 1:10th
- Make a very rough model of the body shell
- Model all of the bought parts (axle, motor etc)
- Design and model the frame and suspension
- Decide how the body will mount to the frame
- Model the body in detail, to fit around the frame
How do you increase the speed of a mousetrap car?
By changing the size of the drive wheel(s) you can speed-up or slow-down your mousetrap vehicle. Larger drive wheels have a greater travel distance per each turn compared to smaller drive wheel. As the size of the drive wheel increase the torque required to start a wheel turning also increase.
How do you make a mousetrap car go far?
5:339:32How to Build a Mousetrap Car for Distance with Professor DavisYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo pull the car forward but at the very last second release. So that those rear wheels can continueMoreTo pull the car forward but at the very last second release. So that those rear wheels can continue to spin. Without any friction or anything tangling them up and this will allow the car to coast.
Why is my mousetrap car not going far?
Re: Mousetrap Car Won't Move Far If you didn't have sufficient friction between the wheel and carpet, torque on the driving axle would spin the wheel.
How do you increase torque on a mousetrap car?
The gearing of a mousetrap car determines the acceleration and the travel distance....Increase the torque by any of the following:shorten the length of the lever arm.using a smaller diameter drive wheels, or.increase the diameter of the drive axle.
What is the fastest mousetrap car?
The Speed-Trap RacerDescription: 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 wheels are best for a mousetrap car?
For long distance mousetrap racers a large diameter drive wheel with a small diameter drive axle is desired. For speed trap racers a smaller diameter drive wheel with a larger diameter drive axle is desired.
How to make a mousetrap for a car?
Above all, your car should be light. The smaller the mass of your car, the better — every gram or milligram you can shave off of your car's frame is a little further your mousetrap will be able to push your car.
How to minimize friction on mousetrap car?
To minimize axle friction, rub or spray a little lubricant on each axle where it meets the frame, then, if possible, work it into the contact point by sliding the wheels back and forth.
What happens when a mousetrap is sprung?
If the wheels slip against the ground when the trap is sprung, energy is wasted — the mousetrap works to make the wheels turn, but you don't get any extra distance. If this happens with your car, adding a friction-inducing material to the rear wheels may reduce their slippage.
Why are thinner wheels better for mousetrap?
Thinner wheels have less friction and may go farther if the distance is what you want or need with your mousetrap racer. It's also important to take the weight of the wheels themselves into account — any unneeded weight will ultimately slow your car down or lead to added friction.
How does a mousetrap work?
Most mousetrap cars work as follows: the mousetrap is "set", a string tied to the arm of the mousetrap is carefully wrapped around one of the wheel axles, and , when the trap is sprung, the swinging arm of the trap transfers its energy to the axle to turn the wheels.
Do you have to use the same size mousetrap for a car?
Most of the time, for mousetrap car assignments, all students will be required to use the same size of mousetrap so that everyone's car designs have the same amount of power. However, if you don't have this restriction, feel free to use the most powerful mousetrap you can find!
Do large wheels stop rolling?
In practice, this means that once they start rolling, they're harder to stop rolling. This makes large wheels perfect for distance-based contests — theoretically, they'll accelerate less quickly than smaller wheels, but they'll roll much longer and they'll travel a greater distance overall.
How to attach a mousetrap to a chassis?
Attach the mousetrap to the chassis, using duct tape. Don’t cover up the spring in the middle of the trap or the “snapper arm. ”. 8. Screw the eye hooks onto the bottom of the cardboard chassis, one in each corner. Use a ruler to make sure that the eye hooks are aligned with each other. 9.
What is a set mousetrap?
A set mousetrap is full of potential energy which, when released, is converted to kinetic (motion) energy. The design of your car allowed that energy to be transferred to the axle to make the wheels turn. When the trap snapped closed, it yanked the string forward.
How to make a car with a large wheel?
11. Cut holes a little bit smaller than the dowel through the center of each wheel, then attach the wheels to the chassis. Put the large wheels on the back of the car, opposite the snapper arm. 12. Wrap a small rubber band around the axle on either side of each wheel so the wheels can’t fall off. 13.
How to make a rocket car more durable?
Other ideas for improving the car: make it more durable by using lightweight wood such as balsa or basswood instead of cardboard. use CDs or records as the wheels. glue a small hook to the axle and connect the string to it with a small loop, then wrap the string by turning the wheels in reverse. Balloon Rocket Car.
How to make a car?
Other ideas for improving the car: 1 make it more durable by using lightweight wood such as balsa or basswood instead of cardboard. 2 use CDs or records as the wheels. 3 glue a small hook to the axle and connect the string to it with a small loop, then wrap the string by turning the wheels in reverse.
How to make a sandbox out of cardboard?
What You Do: 1. Cut four wheels out of a piece of fo am board or corrugated cardboard (adult supervision is necessary). 2. Make the back wheels about double the diameter of the front wheels. (Use a compass to draw the circles, or trace around a bowl or cup.) 3.
How to make the energy release slower?
One way to try making the energy release slower is to lengthen the lever arm by attaching something (pencil, dowel, etc.) to the snapper arm and tying the string to the end of that. (This will give you a longer piece of string than the one tied directly to the snapper arm.) friction.
What is the mechanical advantage of a mousetrap car?
The mousetrap car relies on a form of mechanical advantage to convert the fast burst of energy from the spring into a weaker but longer-lasting output of energy. The mechanical advantage can be calculated as follows:
How does a mousetrap work?
The mousetrap stores potential energy in the form of the spring. That potential energy is converted into kinetic energy in the form of the arm rotating forward. The arm pulls on the wound-up string, which turns the drive wheel dowel, which is connected to the wheels, which makes the car drive forward.
How to make a mousetrap with glue sticks?
Step 1: Build the Frame. Hot glue craft sticks together to form a rectangle that's 4 sticks long (picture 1). Make sure to overlap the sticks by at least 0.75" or so to ensure the frame doesn't break under the stress of the loaded mousetrap. Additionally, leave one end of the frame open (shown on the left in picture 1).
How to make a car drive with large wheels?
Loop the string onto the cable tie from the underside of the dowel (picture 1). Starting the string from the underside of the dowel will make the car drive with the large wheels in front. This means the drive wheels will "pull" the car forward instead of "pushing.".
What is the best mousetrap car?
The best mousetrap car is one that starts by slowly crawling forward, using the smallest amount of energy possible to get moving. This indicates that it has the lowest possible mechanical advantage. As the car moves forward, it begins to build momentum.
Why is the mousetrap car so popular?
Seems simple enough, but the reason it's so popular is because it's rich in science concepts, applied math, and design possibilities.
Is a mousetrap dangerous?
Mousetraps are not as forceful and dangerous as you might think, especially when the arm is already lowered (at least this is true of the Victor brand trap linked in the supplies). They only pose a significant hazard when the arm is pulled back and released quickly, so don't be afraid to get in there and start building!
Why is it important to test a mousetrap car?
You will need to do a lot of testing and adjusting in order to perfect your vehicle's performance. Even if two people build the same mousetrap car following the exact same plans there are no guarantees that the two mousetrap cars will travel the same distance. Testing is so important because you will not know what the problems are ...
How does a mousetrap take energy?
The faster the mousetrap vehicle moves the more air that the racer will have to push out of the way and this takes energy from the system . Design your mousetrap racer so that it can slice through the air with the least amount of resistance; design your vehicle to be aerodynamic.
What is the number one point of friction on a mousetrap car?
Axle Points. The number one point of friction on any mousetrap car is where the axle system comes in contact with the frame of the vehicle. In most cases an axle will be in direct contact with the frame and there is a lot that can be done to decrease the friction at this contact point.
How does gearing work on a mousetrap?
The gearing of a mousetrap car determines the acceleration and the travel distance. Gearing can be adjusted to increase and/or decrease the pulling force, the torque, the travel distance, and the acceleration of a mousetrap powered vehicle. With all mousetrap cars the gearing is controlled by the length of the lever arm and/or the ratio of the drive axle to drive wheel set-up. Most record-setting long distance mousetrap vehicles are geared so that they have the smallest possible energy consumption rate or power output in order to maximize the pulling distance. Smaller power outputs produce less wasted energy and have greater efficiency. The amount of energy released by using a short lever arm or a long lever arm is the same but the length of the lever arm will determine the rate at which the energy is consumed called power output.
How to reduce rotational inertia in mousetrap?
With long-distance mousetrap cars use wheels that have as little rotational inertia as possible. If necessary, cut and remove mass from the wheels in order to decrease the rotational inertia. There have been many mousetrap vehicle builders that have applied the concept of rotational inertial differently over the years.
What is friction in mousetrap cars?
Mousetrap Cars and Friction. Friction is a force that acts against the motion of all moving objects. We cannot eliminate friction totally but we can try to reduce it as much as possible. As a general rule of thumb the more moving parts a device has the greater the force of friction acting against the system.
Why is testing important in mousetrap?
Testing is so important because you will not know what the problems are with your mousetrap car until you experiment with your vehicle to see how it performs. During your testing you will want to make small changes and adjustments to your racer in order to see how these changes will effect your vehicle's performance.
Calculate the string length
Calculate the amount of string needed to pull the vehicle to the turn around point. Use the following steps:
Adding Traction to Wheel
Adding traction to a wheel will give the wheel more grip and greater stopping potential. One way to increase the traction of a wheel on smooth surface is to add a rubber traction tread that has more grip than the original wheel alone. Various brands of rubber may have more grip than another brands of rubber so it is always best to experiment.
Mousetrap Cars
The most up-to-date, informative, and extensive mousetrap vehicle manual ever!
How to make a car with a mousetrap?
Take a mousetrap and remove the pieces that make up the release trigger (bait holder and wire bail, see picture). Use two or three 4” zip ties to secure the ¼ inch dowel to the snap arm and reinforce with tape or hot glue. Glue the mousetrap in place towards the front on the topside of the car with hot glue. Be sure the dowel is pointing forward away from the notch in the cardboard and that the dowel also lines up with the center of the notch when it is pulled back. See picture at the top of the Instructable for placement. Attach a piece of string to the end of the ¼ inch dowel with a zip tie. It should reach a bit longer than hook on the rear axle. Tie a small loop on the end. The loop should just reach the hook on the rear axle.
How to put a mousetrap on a car?
Glue the mousetrap in place towards the front on the topside of the car with hot glue. Be sure the dowel is pointing forward away from the notch in the cardboard and that the dowel also lines up with the center of the notch when it is pulled back. See picture at the top of the Instructable for placement.
How to make a car go faster?
You should now have a car that looks something like the picture. Attach the string to the hook and wind it backwards. Put the car on the ground and let it go and it should start rolling away from you. Take some time to get to know your car. It will likely take some tinkering and practice to get it to roll straight and smooth. Once you’ve got it working well. Run it several more times and when it goes, watch it carefully to see if you notice anything that might be hampering its performance. See if you can tweak it to make it go better. Once you have a good idea how the car works, see if you can design another car that can travel even farther. Try different materials for the body, axles, wheels etc.
How to make a car roll straight?
Place the 3/16” dowels into the straws and press the wheels onto each end. Sometimes the hubs can be hard to press onto the dowels. Rounding or slightly sharpening the ends can make this easier. At this point you should test the car to see if it rolls straight. If not you may need to straighten the straws.