What makes a mousetrap car move?

What makes a mousetrap car move?

The mousetrap storespotential energyin the form of the spring. That potential energy is converted into kinetic energy in the form of the arm rotating forward. The arm pulls on the wound-up string, which turns the drive wheel dowel, which is connected to the wheels, which makes the car drive forward.

How do you make a mousetrap car turn?

Most often, a long dowel or other type of rod is attached to the mousetrap(s), and a string is attached to the rod, which is then looped around the axle. When the mousetrap is triggered, it pulls the rod and the attached string, which unwinds from around the axle, which turns the wheels, thus propelling the vehicle.

How do mousetrap cars work?

A mousetrap powered car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy of a wound-up mouse trap’s spring. Once the drive axle and mouse trap are released the string is pulled from the drive axle by the mouse trap and this causes the drive wheels to rotate.

How long should a mousetrap car lever arm be?

4 1/4
For maximum speed, position the mousetrap 2 1/4 inches from the drive axle and cut the lever arm to a length of 4 1/4 inches. The lever arm can be cut using a dremel tool or by using a fine tooth hobby saw. The lever arm should always be “just” long enough to reach the drive axle or performance will be compromised.

How long should the lever arm be on a mousetrap car?

How long should a mousetrap car be?

between 10 and 15 inches
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.

What does the lever arm do on a mousetrap car?

Changing the length of a mouse trap’s snapper (or lever arm) is how you control a mousetrap vehicle’s acceleration and/or travel distance. Different lengths of lever arms can be used to increase and/or decrease the pulling force and change the amount of string that can be pulled off the drive axle.

What is needed to build a mouse trap car?

Materials Needed for a Mousetrap Car. There are several materials needed to build a basic mousetrap car. These items should be available at your local hardware store. You need a wooden mousetrap, two rubber bands, metal rods, eye screws, plywood, a drill, a small handsaw, a scale, a ruler, a vice or someone to hold the project steady, and wood glue.

How does a mousetrap run a car?

What is a Mouse-Trap Car and How does it Work? A mouse-trap car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy that can be stored in a wound up mouse-trap spring. The most basic design is as follows: a string is attached to a mouse-trap’s lever arm and then the string is wound around a drive axle causing the mouse-trap’s spring to be under tension.

What do levers have to do with mouse trap cars?

Mousetrap cars are powered by the spring of the mousetrap. When the mousetrap snaps back, the lever causes a release of energy . The lever is attached to a string that is wound around the back axle of the car. Therefore, when the lever snaps with the mousetrap, the string unwinds, which spins the axle and makes the car move .

What are the instructions for mouse trap?

Mouse Trap Instructions Release the arm bar from the staple. Move the arm bar to the back of the trap so it hangs over the back of the trap. Apply a small amount of high-protein bait, such as peanut butter, hazelnut spread or bacon to the yellow plastic pedal on the trap as shown.