Table of Contents
How do you make a mousetrap car go faster?
Making The Vehicle Faster Thicken the axle: Wrapping some tape radially around the axle or adding a spool. It may be surprising as to how much faster this makes the vehicle. Use smaller wheels. They will require less force to complete a rotation. Make the vehicle lighter.
How do you propel a mousetrap car?
Once the mouse-trap’s arm is released, the tension of the mouse-trap’s arm pulls the string off the drive axle causing the drive axle and the wheels to rotate, propelling the vehicle.
What makes a fast mousetrap car?
A speedy mousetrap car will have smaller wheels (faster acceleration), a shorter lever arm (increased torque, but smaller travel distance), a larger axle (increased acceleration) and will generally be smaller to decrease air resistance. Use a longer pole/stick attached to the mousetrap’s hammer.
What makes the car go fast?
The motive force for a car is the engine. Every engine produces an amount of work-energy measured in mechanical horsepower. One horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second. More power in generation from the engine means more power available to turn the wheels faster on the car.
What is the fastest mousetrap car?
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.
How do you make a rat trap car go far?
Mousetrap cars will go farther if the spring has more distance from the back wheels. Create traction on the wheels. Add rubber bands, or tape around the wheels to give them better traction. The better the wheels can grip the floor, the farther the mousetrap car will go.
How long should a mousetrap car be?
The ideal size for an ultra big wheel on a long distance mousetrap racer seams to be somewhere between 10 and 15 inches. And the ideal size for a drive wheel on a speed-trap racer seams to be between 2 and 3 inches but no more than 4 inches.
What string should I 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 do you use for axles on a 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.
Why is my mousetrap car not going straight?
If your mousetrap car does not travel straight energy is also being wasted to over come the force of friction turning the vehicle’s wheels. 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!Jan 21, 2012.
How far can a mousetrap car go?
The average distance the rattap car went was 18.6875ft and the average distance the mousetrap car went was 25.5ft.
What is gravity vehicle?
Gravity Vehicle is an event that returned for the 2020 and 2021 competition seasons after being held in 2012 and 2013. In this event, competitors design and build a ramp and a vehicle that is powered solely by the vehicle’s gravitational potential energy.
How can I raise my car pickup?
The Best Ways To Make Your Car Go Faster Upgrade Your Spark Plugs. Get New Electric Fans. Look At Your Exhaust System. Reduce Your Car’s Weight. Order A New Exhaust Header. Install A Larger Diameter Throttle Body.
How do you improve 0 to 60?
10 tips for increasing 0-60 speeds for your vehicle: Reduce any and all non-essential weight from the vehicle (spare tires, jack, tools, racks, rails, rear seating, door panels). Open up the exhaust. Add a supercharger. Stiffer suspension and bushings. Change your tires to a stickier compound.
When was the first mousetrap car made?
Shortly after Keeps innovation, in 1894, Illinois native, William C. Hooker first patented the more familiar spring-loaded device, recognized today as the classic mousetrap.
What materials do you need to build a mousetrap car?
What You Need: 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.
How do you make a mousetrap car stop at a certain distance?
For an easier to adjust and more accurate braking set-up see the lock-nut system. The idea with the string methods is to use a set length of string that will wind around a brake axle until the target distance is reached and then the string will trigger some type of brake or stopping mechanism.
How long should the lever arm be on a mousetrap car for distance?
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 are 4 ways you can make your mousetrap car go further?
Tips If the string is just wrapped around the axle, the car may barely move. Use the longest lever available to extend the mousetrap arm as far as possible. Reduce friction on the axle by minimizing the surface area of the support that contacts the drive axle. Reduce shock by using a bit of sponge as simulated cheese.
Is it better to have a heavier or lighter mousetrap car?
A heavy mousetrap vehicle will required more pulling force than a lighter mousetrap vehicle in order to achieve an equal acceleration. Lighter mousetrap vehicles will require less energy at the start and can use longer lever arms for more pulling distance.
