How do you make a simple mouse trap car?

How do you make a simple mouse trap car?

Build a Mousetrap Car

1. Step 1: Materials. 2 pieces of Cardboard (4” x 10”) many dimensions will work, but this is a good starting place.
2. Step 2: Car Body.
3. Step 3: Attach the Straws.
4. Step 4: The Mousetrap.
5. Step 5: Preparing the Wheels.
6. Step 6: Adding the Axles and Wheels.
7. Step 7: Attaching the Hook to the Rear Axle.

What do you need to make a mouse trap car?

A mousetrap car can be made from cardboard or balsa wood with CD’s for wheels and axles of wood or brass tubing. Power to drive the wheels is provided by a mousetrap to which a wand and string is attached to the snap arm.

How do you make a mousetrap car better?

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.

What makes a mouse trap car faster?

Reducing weight is the simplest way to both increase speed and distance that your mousetrap vehicle can travel. This is because of the power to weight ratio, which is the proportion between the energy a vehicle has and the weight of that vehicle.

How long should a mousetrap car be?

Max Length – 45 cm. Max Width – 20 cm. Height – 20 cm. Min ground clearance – 4 cm.

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 do you make a mouse trap car go farther?

Using large rear wheels allow one rotation of the axle to take the car a much further distance. In other words, a given length of the string from the mousetrap moves the car a greater distance. The last note is to place your mousetrap as close to the front of the car as possible.

What kind of string is best for a mousetrap car?

How do I make my mousetrap car accelerate?

Changing and/or attaching a lever arm to the mousetrap is the number one way to control a mousetrap vehicle’s performance. Shorter lever arms have more pulling force and produce greater acceleration. But, if the lever arm is to short the pulling force will be so larger that the drive wheels will spin out at the start.

Are Bigger wheels better on a mousetrap car?

By changing the size of the drive wheel(s) you can speed-up or slow-down your mousetrap vehicle. Larger diameter drive wheels have a greater travel distance per each turn than compared to smaller diameter drive wheels.

Are CDs good for mousetrap cars?

Why do so many mousetrap cars use CD/DVD for wheels? Because CDs and DVDs are some of the best wheels you will ever find for building a long distance mousetrap powered vehicle. CD/DVD wheels can slice through the air with very little air resistance and they have very little rotational inertia.

What is the most important part of a mousetrap car?

An important part of a mousetrap vehicles propulsion system is the axle hook. Learn how to make and attach an axle hook in order to propel a mousetrap racer.

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 long should dowel be on mousetrap car?

Your axle dowels should extend past your wheel about 1″ (2.5 cm). around your dowel just outside each of wheels. The elastic band will keep the wheels from falling off of the car.

How can I make my vehicle go further?

The Best Ways To Make Your Car Go Faster

1. Upgrade Your Spark Plugs.
2. Get New Electric Fans.
3. Look At Your Exhaust System.
4. Reduce Your Car’s Weight.
5. Order A New Exhaust Header.
6. Install A Larger Diameter Throttle Body.

What are the 2 types of friction that affect the performance of your mousetrap car?

This energy is used to overcome friction and propel the vehicle. The less friction acting against a moving mousetrap car, the less energy that is consumed to friction and the further that the vehicle will travel. A moving mousetrap car is affected by two type of friction: airfriction and bearing friction.

How long should the string be on a mousetrap car?

about 25″
The length of the string is about 25″. Therefore the string can be wrapped around the dowel 25/0.785 = About 31.8 times.

What type of string is best for a mousetrap car?