When the mousetrap is released, however, it acts as a thirdclass lever. Mar 02, 2005 for our physics project senior in high school, we have to build cars driven by nothing other than mouse traps, and they have to propel the cars at least 10 meters. Presented here is a simple analytical and finite element spreadsheet model for a typical mousetrap car. There are a lot of physics and science concepts that demonstrate how the mousetrap car is able to move and compete in a jousting competition.
The car was slowed down by the weight of some of the materials that we used and this affected the time it took for the car to reach 1. Answer the questions in detail using full sentences. Mousetrap car physics link comment engineer mark rober and teacher al doc fizzix balmer explain the physics of these primitive race cars that get their power solely from the energy stored in a mousetraps spring. Mar 29, 2018 there are 4 principles to win with a long distance car. There are 4 principles to win with a long distance car. Car performance tests for total displacement and judging will take place for best construction and design. California bookwatch the book functions well as a deep look into auto racing as well as a good description of applied physics. Change in action is the result of an unbalanced force.
If we want to increase acceleration we need to minimize mass. Homework statement homework equations the attempt at a solution homework statement homework equations the attempt at a solution. In physics, we were challenged to make a car with a mousetrap. Purpose behind length of snapper arm birds eye view 2. Builders have reported achieving distances of close more than 300 feet 91. Variations include the use of multiple traps, or very big rat traps, for added power. Our car will not move until a unbalanced force is applied. What physics concepts are in a mousetrap car answers. For distance and power carsdistance and power cars, the string lengththe string length should be a little shorter than the distance from the lever arm to the drive axle when the trap is in th l d itithe relaxed position. These include conservation of energy, newtons laws, potential. A mouse trap car is powered by the energy of a wound up mouse trap s spring.
The mousetrap car project is a classic physics challenge. In the research section, students begin by exploring all the theory and concept background they will need to proceed with the activity. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Maybe you want to know how the physics you were taught in school applies to the real world. Choice a fine pick for any science of racing fans collection. Teaching physics with a massive game of mouse trap mark perez and his troupe of performers tour the country, using a lifesized version of the popular game to explain simple machines. Teaching physics with a massive game of mouse trap. Mouse trap cars let the race begin you will build an originally designed vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standardsized.
To understand how mousetrap cars work you first need to understand the concept of mechanical advantage. The effort force is your fingers on the end of the snapper arm, and the fulcrum is the pivot point in the middle of the trap. In physics, although tension is not a force, it does have the units of force and can be measured in newtons or sometimes poundsforce. Mousetrap vehicles the science of mousetrap vehicles doc. Author gets the physics right and provides insight. Learn all about motion and how it applies to mousetrap powered vehicles. There are several physics principles that are taking place as the mousetrap vehicle is in motion. Finally, we visit the science olympiad to see these principles in action. Mousetrap car and the physics behind it stony brook university. Of course, all that potential energy can be put to other uses besides getting rid of mice. Physics mousetrap car competition high school physics. The snapper arm becomes the load, and the spring arm becomes the effort force moving the load. Not all of the dimensions and ccss are covered in the following activities and teachers are encouraged to address them where possible. As explained by renowned science writer and physics professor barry parker.
In physics, motion is a change in position of an object with respect to time. Making a speed mouse trap car involves extracting the most energy you can from the mousetrap spring in a short distance. Early on i was fascinated by theoretical physics and determined to become a theoretical physicist. The car must be powered by a single spring mouse trap. Feb 08, 2010 mouse trap car i need to make a mouse trap car that goes 7 meters forward and then goes 7 meters back. Motion is typically described in terms of velocity, acceleration, displacement and time. Some people might have wondered what exactly the mousetrap car is.
A mousetrap car uses the stored energy of a mousetrap spring to generate forward motion. I cant seem to find anything on the internet about this topic. A mousetrap powered car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy of a woundup mouse trap s spring. If youre looking for a neat school project, an activity thats more handson than video games or a way to put those old victorbrand traps to work on a peaceful purpose, try building a mousetrap powered car. Oct 19, 2012 teaching physics with a massive game of mouse trap mark perez and his troupe of performers tour the country, using a lifesized version of the popular game to explain simple machines. Wd40 is an awesome lubricant and will significantly reduce friction and increase speed. We have guessed this because of the structure of the car. My interest in these subjects derived mostly from popular science books that i read avidly. In the mouse trap car the spring helps overcome the natural inertia. Lubrication lubrication can help reduce friction significantly throughout the whole car. At higher speeds, slip angles increase, and tendency to oversteer or understeer may depend on speed. It makes a great 4h or class project that provides an opportunity to learn some basic physics and engineering skills. This will allow the string to release from the hook and prevent tangles.
Build a vehicle that can travel as far or as fast as possible by using only the energy that can be stored in a single mousetrap. Please click on the link below to access our onlinetext book. Apr 12, 2012 this option allows users to search by publication, volume and page selecting this option will search the current publication in context. The most basic design is to tie one end of a string to the tip of a mousetrap s snapper arm and then the other end of the string has a loop that is designed to catch a hook that is glued to a drive axle. From the age of, i was attracted to physics and mathematics. At the isaac newton school of driving, though, every car is a laboratory on wheels and every drive an exciting journey into the world of physics.
Fast car physics is an excellent book for understanding the science and engineering behind car racing. Mousetrap cars are often used in physics or other physical science classes to. In the projects below, youll use a mousetrap as a power source for a catapult and a car. Getting started a mousetrap car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy that can be stored in a wound up mousetrap spring. The mouse trap may not be modified in any way except to attach it to your car. Theory of mousetrap cars to be considered a genuine mousetrap car, the car must only be propelled by the spring of one mousetrap. Mousetrap vehicles the science of mousetrap vehicles. I thought about how i had lots of fun making those way back and decided to make one out of scraps off my desk and documen. The ends of a string or other object under tension will exert forces on the objects to which the string or rod is connected, in the direction of the string at the point of attachment. In competitions, the goal of the mousetrap car is to achieve as much forward motion as possible, on a flat surface andor on an inclined surface.
The lever arm needs to be shorter than the distance car s because the shorter the arm is, the quicker the spring will snap, and thus more torque gets extracted from the spring. Kinematics the mouse trap car the following learning activities were backwards planned to facilitate the development of students knowledge and skills for mastery of this ngss performance expectation. A mousetrap car is a small vehicle whose only source of motive power is a mousetrap. This website contains a variety of physics problems, complete with solutions, taken from real world applications. Many high school and introductory college physics courses make use of mousetrap car projects and competitions as a way of providing an engaging handson learning experience incorporating newtons laws, conversion of potential to kinetic energy, dissipative forces, and rotational mechanics. The most common design for mousetrap car involves the spring releasing a lever that is attached to a line wrapped around the wheel axle. Motion construction tips newtons laws applied to our mousetrap car 2nd law. Selecting this option will search all publications across the scitation platform selecting this option will search all publications for the publishersociety in context. If we set off the car in an open space, we believe the car will go near 40 feet in 15 seconds. I would like to know exactly what equations im going to need. We are only allowed to have one mousetrap and we can have no external propulsion such as rockets, rubber bands, motors, etc. Of course, me being me, i want to make my car go as far as possible. Jessica yescas, jack traina, xavier barajas, and victor villanueva 3. It is a physics project in which students design and construct a vehicle with single mousetrap as its sole source of propulsion.
As always, a good design and quality construction are contributing factors toward success. A very popular method of propulsion is to tie one end of a string to the arm or an extended lever arm on the mousetrap and the other end to the axle. Teaching physics with a massive game of mouse trap science. The most basic design is to tie one end of a string to the tip of a mousetraps snapper arm and then the other end of the string has a loop that is designed to catch a hook that is glued to a drive axle. Feb 09, 2009 i must write a 3 page, typed, doublespaced paper on the theory of a mousetrap car storing potential energy to be converted into kinetic energy. Potential energy becomes kinetic energy as the mousetrap car begins to move. Mar 26, 2015 so, our car proved to be very effective at all of the tasks. I will discuss some of the physics of mousetrap powered cars as well as provide some design tips for building one. Mar 28, 2015 simply set off the trap and watch the car move on its own. Mouse trap car physics analysis report is also due. It should be applied to the axles and wheels so that the car will move with minimal resistance. Physics analysis of mousetrap car conceptual analysis these questions are designed to demonstrate your understanding and application of the physics principles youve learned and will learn in this class. In theory, this would make the drive wheels will turn more times, and the car will. Made for the visual learner, this book is filled with tons of images and.
Any ideas for how i could crush the rest of the class. All the search engines are giving me are how to build a mousetrap car. Nearly all production cars are designed to understeer, since slowing down will tend to restore front grip and thus reduce understeer. One of my sons friends stayed over yesterday and mentioned in passing hed been assigned to make a mouse trap car for school. Learn how a mousetrap works with hsts guide to mousetrap physics. Mousetrap car building basics a mousetrap powered car is a vehicle that is powered by the energy of a woundup mouse trap s spring. Physics a mousetrap car uses the stored energy of a mousetrap spring to generate forward motion. Anyway, i truly recommend this book if you have a physics project to build a car powered by a standard mouse trap. You will build an originally designed vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standardsized mousetrap. If i were to do the project again, one modification that i would do would be to make the car a little lighter. This is because our car contains a bonanza of power and has the ability to go very fast, so due to these two being combined, the car has enough force to go up a hill. Mouse trap car mouse traps, mousetrap car, physics projects. The intent is to stimulate awareness and understanding of the physical world for people who are interested in physics. If our car s mass is large then we will need to exert more force.
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