Mousetrap Car

Step 1: Define the problem clearly

• We need to move a car as far as we can
• only using a mousetrap for power.
• We have to make it light
• We havee a lmited amount of supplies

GATHERING INFORMATION

• We did research on the web and learned from other desings
• We used websites such as Youtube and docfizzix.com to make solutions
• We used past designes to craft a model for ours and come up with multiple ideas
• We saw other groups crafting theirs and saw their strengths and faults

Alternative Solutions

• We thought of many different designs
• Some included 3, 4, or even 2 wheels
• Different models have different parts
• We had to choose the best out of them

The other possibilities

• One of these was a car with 1 wheel in the back
• Pros: More stable, longer distance
• Cons: Harder to make the axel turn

Solution #2

• Our second design has 4 wheels
• Pros: Easy to get moving, easy to build
• Cons: Wont go as far as other solutions

Our third solution

• This has 2 bigger back wheels and 1 front wheel
• Pros: Sturdy, stable, easy to build
• May not go completely straight

Choose the best solution

Building the car

Make a prototype

• We used many materials to make this car:
• We used records, glue, a mousetrap, screws, along with other things
• We tried to make a car with 3 wheels in total
• This car was the first of many designs

Test the solution

PRODUCT REDESIGNING

OUR FINAL DESIGN

• The two wheels worked mush better than three
• We were almost ready to test
• We needed to add a mode of propulsion and we were good

TESTING

• Our recorded data
• Our car traveled, at its peak, 1.3 feet
• Our car took 4.26 seconds to travel this
• Our car's average velocity was .30 ft/s
• We are proud that we got it to move

Mousetraps to Newtons law

• The car relates to Newtons laws in many ways
• His 1st law is used to explain how the car starts and stops
• It states: Every object in motion tends to stay in motion
• unless an external force is applied to it.

Newton's second law

• This law states:F=ma, acceleration and
• force are vectors, and the direction of the force
• is the same direction as the acceleration
• This law is used to see how the car will move
• Straight and Forward and how to maximize the distance

NEWTONS THIRD LAW

• This states: For every action there is an opposite
• and equal reaction
• This is used to see how when the spring pulls one way,
• the axel moves and the car goes forward and is eventually
• stopped by friction

HOW WE MAXIMIZED FORcE TO MOUSETRAP

• We used different materials to attach the trap to the axle
• We diecided that string was the best resource at our time
• This gave a pull on the axle that moved the vehicle
• Other materials, such as fishing line, did not work as well

STATIC Friction

• This force, the car has to overcome to keep rolling
• Static friction is hardest to pass, it contains the most reistance
• The car is rolling to make the force of friction less
• We need the mousetrap to start, overcoming the static friction
• Once it passes this, the car will have to continue through kinetic friction

Kinetic friction

• This friction is less powerful than Static friction
• This will eventually slow down and stop the car
• It is friction between the wheels and the floor
• The vehicle has to try to move for as long as possible

ENERGY TRANSFORMATION in the car

• The energy is stored in the spring to start
• As it starts, is traveles down the string and turns the axel
• The vehicle moves, the spring loses energy and the wheels roll
• The friction between the wheels and the ground stops the car
• The mousetrap loses all of its energy and the car stops