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
. … There are many of variations of how to attach a mousetrap to drive the wheels.
What are the basics of mousetrap powered cars?
A mousetrap powered car is
a vehicle that is powered by the energy of a wound-up mouse trap’s spring
. The most basic design is to tie one end of a string to the tip of a mousetrap’s snapper arm and then the other end of the string has a loop that is designed to “catch” a hook that is glued to a drive axle.
What makes up the powertrain of a mousetrap car?
The powertrain mechanism of the vehicle includes
the lever arm that is attached to the spring to transfer the spring force to the axle via a drive string
. As you learned previously, class 1 and 2 levers increase force output by sacrificing the distance the force is applied.
What do you need for a mousetrap car?
- 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.
What simple machines are in a mousetrap car?
The six simple machines are: the
inclined plane, the wedge, the screw, the lever, the wheel and axle, and the pulley
. Understanding the principles of these simple machines will help you design your mousetrap vehicle.
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 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.
What is the best way to build a mousetrap car for distance?
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 do you make a cheap mousetrap car?
- 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.
What is the key to a quick start in a mousetrap car?
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. Understanding this basic concept is the key to building a successful mousetrap powered vehicle.
How many classes of levers exist?
There are
three types
of levers: first class, second class and third class. The difference between the three classes depends on where the force is, where the fulcrum is and where the load is. In a first class lever, the fulcrum is located between the input force and output force.
What is a Type 3 lever?
In class 3 levers,
the fulcrum lies at one end, the load is at the other end, and the effort is placed in the middle
. … The human arm is a class 3 lever: the elbow is the fulcrum, the muscles in the forearm are the effort, and what is held in the hand is the load.
What is the purpose of a mousetrap car?
A mousetrap car uses the stored energy of a
mousetrap spring to generate forward motion
. In competitions, the goal of the mousetrap car is to achieve as much forward motion as possible, on a flat surface and/or on an inclined surface. In other words, the goal is to maximize the distance traveled on both these surfaces.
Is it better to have a lighter or heavier 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.
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
!
What is the best length for a mousetrap car?
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.
