What makes a mousetrap car go farther?
What makes a mousetrap car go farther?
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.
How long should the string be on a mousetrap car?
The distance between the opened and closed positions of the bar of a mousetrap is typically 10 cm, so this is how much string would be pulled. Wrapped around even a small diameter axle, this amount of string will not create enough revolutions to move the car as far as it might go.
How far can a mousetrap car go?
The ideal size for an ultra big wheel on a long distance mousetrap racer seams to be somewhere between 10 and 15 inches. bonus tip: long-distance racers should have a large drive wheel and small axle.
What is the best way to build a mousetrap car for distance?
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.
Why is my mousetrap car not moving?
If a mousetrap vehicle is struggling to move and/or needs more acceleration then the lever arms can be shortened in order to increase the pulling force. Keep in mind that you will also have to reposition the mouse trap closer to the drive axle or the system will not work as intended.
What wheels are best for a mousetrap car?
As you might guess, the materials used to build mousetrap-powered cars are light out of necessity. Foamcore board or balsa wood are often used for the body. The wheels can be off-the-shelf radio-controlled car wheels, but many builders use blank CDs or DVDs because their thin edges reduce friction.
Where should you place the mousetrap for the best performance if you want speed?
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).
How much energy is stored in a mousetrap?
17 Joules of Energy From a Mouse Trap.
How can I make my mousetrap car better?
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.
How does friction affect a mousetrap car?
The first is the friction between the wheels of the mousetrap car and the ground. This type of friction positively affects the motion of the vehicle, as it allows the wheels to grip the ground, moving forward. … The greater the friction between axle and body, the shorter the distance of travel.
How does the length of the lever arm affect a mousetrap car?
Making the length of the mouse trap's lever arm longer will decrease the pulling force but increase the amount of string that can be pulling from the drive axle. Shortening the length of the lever arm increases the pulling force but decrease the amount of string that can be pulled from the drive axle.
What forces act on a mousetrap car?
– In your mousetrap car, the snapper arm applies a force to the drive axle through the pulling string. This in turn causes a torque to be produced around the q p drive axle. For distance cars, try a long arm. Longer arms will provide less force, but more distance.
What is the mechanical advantage of a mousetrap car?
Mousetrap Vehicles: Mechanical Advantage. Mechanical advantage is the ratio of the force put into a device and the force out. Learn all about mechanical advantage and how it applies to mousetrap racers. The mechanical advantage is the ratio of the input and output forces that are used within a machine.
How does momentum affect a mousetrap car?
Learn all about momentum and how it applies to mousetrap powered vehicles. Momentum is a combination of newton's laws and energy. … The same is true of mass, the more mass a moving object has the more momentum it has in the direction it is moving and the harder it will be to change it's state of motion.