Students will build a vehicle solely powered by a standard mousetrap to travel
the longest distance on a specified track. ◇ Materials: ◇ 1 standard mousetrap.
MESA Day 2012 Mousetrap Car - Distance
6th-8th Grade
Students will build a vehicle solely powered by a standard mousetrap to travel the longest distance on a specified track Materials: 1 standard mousetrap All other materials are legal NO KITS!
READ RULES AT LEAST TWICE!! Mousetrap is ONLY source of energy Don’t tamper with mousetrap: No paint No decoration Alteration allowed ONLY for attaching mousetrap to chassis Spring may not be altered
READ RULES AT LEAST TWICE!!
Energy from spring is transferred to car via the lever arm Lever arm provides torque required to turn axles
Length of lever arm affects power output Shorter arm = faster output Longer arm = slower output
# of wheels : 3 or 4 Wheel radius The greater the radius, the greater the torque required to rotate the axle
Wheel grip (traction) Power output must match wheel grip to avoid spinning Avoid wasting energy
Ratio of wheel-to-axle Larger ratio good for distance
Friction Reduce friction between wheels and surface Also between axle and chassis
Alignment
The body of the car Balsawood, plastic, other lightweight materials Mass The heavier the car, the greater the friction force with the surface More force required to actually move the car
Long chassis vs. Short chassis Narrow vs Wide Aerodynamic (reduce drag)
Fast vs Slow Fast: Build a car that will accelerate quickly and “coast” as far as possible shorter lever arm smaller wheel radius quick power output
Slow: Build a car that will accelerate slowly over the entire distance that it travels. Less “coasting”. longer lever arm larger wheel radius slow power output
Research, research, research! Experimentation is the key Set a working timeline READ THE RULES….twice….again!! HAVE FUN!!!: It’s not the end of the world.
