In our physics class our assignment was to build a car with only a mouse trap.
My design was fairly simple. I used two blocks of wood to put the mouse trap on and drilled holes into them. I placed the mouse trap towards the front of the car, not centered. I used circular pieces of wood for the axels, and attached CDs as wheels to the axels. Around the CDs, I wrapped balloons to create more traction. The wheels would move across the floor much easier. I attached a long paint stirrer on the arm of the mouse trap (the part that kills the mouse). This would be what actually moves the car. On the back axel, a small hole was drilled where I threaded a piece of fishing line through. I then wrapped this fishing line around the axel many times, and attached it to the top of the arm.
To make the car actually go, you pull the arm back as if you were going to set the trap. Then, you turn the axel, winding the fishing line, until it is really tight. When you put the mouse trap on the ground and let go of the arm, the force of the mouse trap, trying to snap close, will pull the string. The string will then pull the axel, turning the wheels. The car will go until the arm stops moving, and, if there is enough force, may coast on its own.
My car was too heavy and should have been lighter, because the force of the mouse trap was not enough to move the car a long distance.
This was my design:
My design was fairly simple. I used two blocks of wood to put the mouse trap on and drilled holes into them. I placed the mouse trap towards the front of the car, not centered. I used circular pieces of wood for the axels, and attached CDs as wheels to the axels. Around the CDs, I wrapped balloons to create more traction. The wheels would move across the floor much easier. I attached a long paint stirrer on the arm of the mouse trap (the part that kills the mouse). This would be what actually moves the car. On the back axel, a small hole was drilled where I threaded a piece of fishing line through. I then wrapped this fishing line around the axel many times, and attached it to the top of the arm.
To make the car actually go, you pull the arm back as if you were going to set the trap. Then, you turn the axel, winding the fishing line, until it is really tight. When you put the mouse trap on the ground and let go of the arm, the force of the mouse trap, trying to snap close, will pull the string. The string will then pull the axel, turning the wheels. The car will go until the arm stops moving, and, if there is enough force, may coast on its own.
My car was too heavy and should have been lighter, because the force of the mouse trap was not enough to move the car a long distance.
This was my design:
This is what it looks like when the fishing line is wound, before you let go.