Table of Contents
How do you make a car out of a mouse trap?
Step 1: Materials. 2 pieces of Cardboard (4” x 10”) many dimensions will work, but this is a good starting place. Step 2: Car Body. Step 3: Attach the Straws. Step 4: The Mousetrap. Step 5: Preparing the Wheels. Step 6: Adding the Axles and Wheels. Step 7: Attaching the Hook to the Rear Axle. Step 8: You’re Done!!!.
How do you make a fast mousetrap car?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do snap mouse traps work?
Traditionally, snap traps have been popular for killing mice and rats swiftly. If you’re trying to bring down the population of house mice and deer mice in your area, snap traps can work especially well. When used correctly, the quick trigger system of a snap tap can help manage large infestations.
When designing a trap car What are the 2 variables that truly determine performance?
In general, mousetrap competitions have two categories, speed and distance. If you want to optimize for speed, you’ll want to design a car that exerts as much force/rotation as possible on the wheels as fast as possible.
How does a mouse trap car work?
A basic mousetrap car is powered by attaching a string to the “snap” lever on the trap, looping the other end to a small hook on the axle, winding the string around the axle of the car pulling back on the lever and arming it.
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.
What makes a mousetrap car move?
The mousetrap storespotential energyin 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 big is a mouse trap?
Size : length = 3-7/8 inches, width = 1 3/4 inches.
Are Bigger wheels better for 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 will have a greater travel distance per each turn compared to smaller drive wheel.
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.
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.
What is an axle hook on a mousetrap car?
An important part of a mousetrap vehicles propulsion system is the axle hook. If the string does not properly release from the drive axle the string will rewind around the drive axle and cause the mousetrap car to come to an instant stop.
What kind of lever is a mousetrap car?
When you set the mousetrap, you are using a second-class lever. The load is the arm of the spring that is being pushed down to compress the spring. The effort force is your fingers on the end of the snapper arm, and the fulcrum is the pivot point in the middle of the trap.
How do you find the force of a mouse trap?
The work done on the mousetrap arm is found using the formula W = F d, where F is the force (in Newtons) applied to the mousetrap car spring arm and d is the distance (in m) through which the force is applied. You found the force applied using a spring scale and should have it in the table above.
