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.

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 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 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 makes the car go fast?

The two most important things you can provide to your car to increase its speed is air and fuel. Air and fuel are essential for propelling a car forward and their combustion in the engine provides the force needed to power the car's components that make it move.

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 fast is a mouse trap?

I looked up how fast a humming bird's wings move, and the general range stated in various sources was between 50 and 80 beats per second. So, the trap will slam shut about as fast as a single flapping of a hummingbird's wing. The 12 milliseconds represents the time for the bar to impact the wooden base.

How do you get a mousetrap car to move?

By winding the string around the axle the mousetrap's spring is stretched providing stored energy. As the mousetrap is released it pulls the string off of the axle causing the wheels to turn and making the car move.

How do you make a good mousetrap car?

To make a reversing mousetrap car go forward and then come back you will need to know how to "back-wind" the string. Back-winding the string it a technique where you first wind the string around the axle in one direction and then rewind the string in the opposite direction.

What is an axle hook?

An important part of a mousetrap vehicles propulsion system is the axle hook. … The most common way to propel a mousetrap car is to attach one end of a string to a mouse trap's snapper arm and the other end of the string to an axle hook.

How do mousetrap cars reduce friction?

Use graphite powder to help reduce the surface friction. bonus tip: Bushings can be cut from plastic straws and placed into a hole in the frame. bonus tip: Metal washers make great bushings. Metal washers can be glued directly to the frame to hold the axle.

How do all 3 of Newton’s laws of motion apply to mousetrap powered vehicles?

The mouse trap car relates to Newtons first law because the car does not move until the force of the mousetrap moves it and then it doesn't stop until it hits something or until gravity finally stops it. … Newtons third law affects the car because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

What do you need to build a mousetrap car?

If you cannot change the lever arm length without a lot of reconstruction of your mousetrap vehicle then try increasing the diameter of the drive axle with tape. The idea here is to wrap tape around the drive axle and change the axle-to-wheel ratio and increase the torque delivered to the drive wheels.

What piece is considered to be the power source of a mousetrap car?

The power source of the mousetrap is a spring. When springs are wound and held they contain potential energy. Once released, springs convert that potential energy into kinetic energy. This can also be seen in toy cars.

How is the lever arm on the mousetrap attached to the axle?

Learn how to attach a lever arm to a mousetrap in order to control a vehicles gearing. … Longer lever arms have less pulling force than shorter lever arm but longer lever arm pull more string from the drive axle than shorter lever arm.