Mousetrap Car Introduction

http://www.ScienceGuy.Org demos mousetrap car kits, cars I designed, and student designs. See 3-wheel car and the Torquemaster Jones pulley car. First in series of videos on mousetrap cars.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• mousetrap
• cars
• physics
• force
• and
• motion
• scienceguyorg
• bill
• kuhl
• Jones
• Pulley
• bamboo
• 3-wheel
• ball
• bearings

[ScienceguyOrg]

When you say front CD, I am assuming that it is a three wheel car with one wheel in front. The hub must be good as there is more tendency to wobble here than with 4 wheel. I used a short length of plastic tube that was fastened to the hub and the axle went through that. The front fork has to be stiff also. On the 3 wheel car with the ball bearings, I think I had a short length of brass tube fastened to the hub. This length of tube sticks out on each side of the CD hub.

Hope this helps.

[ScienceguyOrg]

That is a good question that I really do not have a good answer for, I have been concentrating on distance. To go faster use a shorter lever arm, smaller wheels with more traction. The car should be light, but heavy enough on the wheels for traction.  I would check out the Doc Fizzix website. Also watch my video Powering the Mousetrap Car.

[baloneyjazz]

nice

you're allowed ball bearings?

[ScienceguyOrg]

That is a good question about the ball bearings, the Doc Fizzix book mentioned the ball bearings, but I wonder how many rules cover this. It does add to the cost.

Bill

[TheRealNationalist]

Hey, how can i make the front CD stable, mine wobbles and i want it to be less wobbly so that energy doesnt get wasted, PLEASE give me a suggestion, THANKS!

[sixstring1991]

Bill,

Thanks for posting! What design would you suggest to derive maximum power (Force x distance)/(time) ?

[gk123434534]

Nice work Bill. A really well put together video. :)

[sciencetoymaker]

Nice video! What you said, "...deceptively simple" is right on.