Simple Mouse Trap Powered Car - Construction Details

After 150,000 people watched my mousetrap car video last year, I decided to answer some of the many questions people had with this new video...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mousetrap
• car
• Mouse
• Trap
• Physics
• Shop
• Flying
• Teacher
• Contest
• Low
• friction
• power

[glitzykitten]

I'm in high school and I am making a mousetrap car for physics class. We have to attach a 500 gram mass to the car. I like this design, and I was wondering if you as the creator had any suggestions on how best to attach the mass? Please and thank you!

[1donagin]

@glitzykitten - There are lots of options. If you could center it on a wheel, that would be the absolute best from a physics standpoint, but it would be difficult. I would tend to hang it on the end of the trap/wood block. This will make you trap go farther IF your teach gets by with letting you raise the block up to 90 degrees for starting (which they might or might not do). The only issue with hanging the block is that it will test your bearings.

-Don

[hudik96]

where can i find the instruction paper at 3:11 ?? please respond

[1donagin]

@hudik96 - note comment at 8:50. (I can't give web addresses in comments, as Youtube does not allow this).

[RobbieCalefMusic]

I missed the step when he mounted his big toe on his middle finger.

[1donagin]

@RobbieCalefMusic - They actually used to do that surgery - although typically for a thumb and not a middle finger.

[1donagin]

@MONSTERMASTER97 - I was fishing off the coast of Arizona when I was stabbed in the neck by a poisonous paddle fish. Unfortunately, I was leaning to the right when it happened, and all the poison flowed down into that finger, which was permanently swollen. BUT, as luck would have it, the paddle fish was delicious!

Actually, its a tumor that I've had since before I was a year old - but other stories are much more fun... I was Skydiving over mount Everest...

[MrKeefuh]

It's going to kill me to do that to a pair of records.

[MrMacaronic]

@RobbieCalefMusic You're a jerk.

[LTCAproductions]

oh hey diddnt see you there i was just spinning this thing

[TheLutherMassacre]

The axle, do I need bushings? for where the axle passes through the chassis or will the straws do that?

[1donagin]

@MrKeefuh - you could probably find a pair of "music machine" polka dot records. Destroying those is considered a public service. Or you can use big china plates and drill holes with a diamond tipped bit...