What do you need to build a mouse trap 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 fast mousetrap car?
If you haven’t realized it yet, increasing the length of the lever arm attached to the mousetrap, increases the total mechanical advantage of the car. Therefore, to increase your car’s speed, you can reduce the length of the lever arm attached to the mousetrap.
What kind of string do you 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.
How long should the lever arm be on a mousetrap car?
Build your mousetrap powered car using a 12-inch lever arm and make sure not to glue the mousetrap to the frame.
How do you make a long distance mousetrap car?
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 do you calculate how far your mousetrap car will go?
combined formulas: the pulling distance (distance) is equal to the length of string (String Length) pulled from the drive axle times the diameter of the drive wheels (d drive wheel) divided by the diameter of the drive axle (d drive axle).
What is the best design for a mousetrap car?
You’ll want to design your car to have a light body, have large rear wheels, and you’ll want to position the mousetrap as close to the front of the car as possible. Having a light bodied mouse trap car allows for less work to have to be done by the mousetrap getting the car going.
Why isn’t my mouse trap car working?
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.
How wide should a mousetrap car be?
Max Length – 45 cm. Max Width – 20 cm. Height – 20 cm. Min ground clearance – 4 cm.
What type of string is best for a mousetrap car?
How do you build a mousetrap car?
Build a Mousetrap Car. 1 Step 1: Materials. 2 Step 2: Car Body. 3 Step 3: Attach the Straws. 4 Step 4: The Mousetrap. 5 Step 5: Preparing the Wheels.
How does a mousetrap work?
In the design, the snapper of the mousetrap is tied with a string; the other end of which is tied to the axle at the rear end of the car. The car is then wound in the reverse direction with the help of its hind wheels, much like a pull-back car. This will pull the string, and in turn, open the snapper of the mousetrap.
How do you make a mousetrap out of sticks?
Lift the mousetrap arm and position two half-craft sticks under it as shown (picture 1). Glue two craft sticks perpendicular to the half-sticks, then apply a generous layer of hot glue over all the sticks and the metal mousetrap arm (picture 2).
How far can a car travel with a mousetrap?
The car traveled the width of a standard tennis court plus a few additional feed under the power of the mousetrap, then coasted for a few more feet for a total travel distance of about 44ft! Mechanical advantage = ( [length of metal spring-arm] / [length of extended mousetrap arm]) x ( [circumference of axle dowel] / [circumference of drive wheel])