You will build
an originally designed vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standard-sized mousetrap.
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. By winding the string around the
axle, the mousetrap's spring, when released, pulls on the string causing the
wheels to turn and thus making the car move (there are, however, other
creative ways to convey power from the mousetrap to the car).
- The
objective of this project is to...
- a)
design a mousetrap car that will travel a maximum DISPLACEMENT and
- b)
demonstrate an understanding of the physics principles incorporated in
your design (in a report).
The project
consists of 5 phases:
- Mousetrap
Car
Design
-
Procurement of parts - Pass CHECKPOINT 1
- Mousetrap
Car Construction - Pass CHECKPOINT 2
- Mousetrap
Car Performance Evaluation - Race day.
- Mousetrap
Car Physics Analysis (Report)
All designs must
follow the DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS.
- DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS
1. The vehicle
must be powered by a single “Victor” or "Tomcat" brand mousetrap
or equivalent (no rat traps
allowed). You are not allowed to "heat treat" the spring to enhance
tensile strength.
2.
You have complete design freedom concerning vehicle size, vehicle weight,
and materials used (except for the mouse trap "engine").
3.
CAR-KITS PURCHASED AT A HOBBY STORE OR ON-LINE ARE
ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED.
The intent of this project is for you to research, design, and build your
own car from "scratch" i.e. from individual components you have purchased,
already have on hand at home
or made.
Please be aware that I am confident in my
ability to identify purchased kits. Parts from toys (Example: tires from models, K'NEX
parts, Erector Set parts, etc) are allowed if prior approved either before
or at checkpoint 1.
4. You will not be permitted to "push start" your vehicle i.e. upon
release, your vehicle must start
moving on its own.
5.
Only final displacement will be measured; "total distance traveled "
does not count (i.e. the straighter the travel line, the better your grade
will be).
6. Displacement will be measured from the
starting line position
to the front-most part of the vehicle at its final resting point.
7.
Your goal is 10 meters or more. All cars must
achieve a minimum of 3 meters displacement. Please examine the grading rubric
(see link below); car performance is a major part
of your project grade so test your design, make improvements and then test
some more!
- PHYSICS
ANALYSIS OF YOUR PROJECT
- Answer the following questions
completely (include formulas and/or calculations where
appropriate). Your answers may
be written or typed.
-
- 1.
What are the two types of friction that affect the performance of your
vehicle?
- 2. What
problems related to friction did you encounter and how did you solve
them?
- 3. What
factors did you take into account to decide the number of wheels you
chose in your design?
- 4. What
kind of wheels did you use in each axle? What is the effect of using
large or small wheels?
- 5.
Explain how Newton's first, second and third laws apply to the
performance of
your vehicle.
- 6. Discuss
the effect of the length of the lever arm in the pulling force of your
vehicle.
- 7. How is
the balance of a wheel, around its center, related to the vehicle’s
performance?
- 8. How does
the distribution of weight of the vehicle affect the traction of the
wheels?
- 9.
Discuss the major problems encountered in the performance of your
vehicle and what did you do to solve them.
NOTE: Your report
is
due the same day as your car.
- DUE DATES
AND CHECKPOINTS
There are 2 progress
CHECK-POINTS.
- CHECK-POINT 1: (4th week into your project)
- You must
have completed your finalized design and gathered/purchased all
component parts and materials for assembly. You must bring in all component car parts to
school for approval.... be prepared to answer any construction questions
presented to you (after examining your materials, I might ask questions
that pertain to your car design... make sure you can explain what you
are going to do with all the parts and construction materials and how
your design works). Some car construction may have begun at this point.
-
- CHECK-POINT 2: (6th week into your project)
- You must provide proof of
construction progress on your project... you will bring to class either your
partially finished car or your finished car for approval. Finished cars can be
tested and modified if necessary for performance improvement. Modifications
can be made as often as desired up to the day the project is due.
Check your class calendars for
project due
date and checkpoint dates.
I can assure your
grade is directly proportional to the time you spend on this project. It is extremely difficult to earn a "C" or better without adequate
research, design, testing and redesign. A large portion of your grade
depends on your car's performance; make sure your car will perform when the time comes. That means
design it, build it, test it, re-design, re-test it and
repeat this process as many times as necessary to achieve your goals....
I have given you ample time to accomplish your project goals... don't
procrastinate if you want a good grade!
