Mousetrap Car
Mousetrap car is an innovative vehicle which has the motive power coming from a mousetrap. Yes, mouse
trap, as in traps for catching mice. Interesting, isn't it? These mouse trap cars are very commonly used while
teaching physics and help students know and understand physical science techniques and also helps in their
science fair projects. It also contributes in building problem solving skills, developing spatial awareness
time management in students. This project thus has a lot of benefits for students and to top it all, it infuses a
sense of co-operation if a team is doing it. In case this intrigues you, the text below would probably quench
your thirst of knowledge about mouse trap cars.
Mouse Trap Vehicle
Structure and Design
This vehicle can have multiple mouse traps or huge mouse traps for added power. Four wheeled cars are
very common, but there are 3 wheeled cars as well. For increasing the distance the car can travel can be
done by replacing the string which pulls the axle with the help of a rubber band. This car is powered by a
helical torsion spring attached to a mouse trap. Consequently when you assemble a mouse trap, the spring is
primarily twisted beyond its equilibrium so that it applies significant torque to the bar after the trap is closed.
Torque, is the tendency of the force to rotate an object. The mousetrap bar, travels through an arc of around
180 degrees and that motion has to be applied and used to move the car's axle or wheels. If you do not want
to do all this or in short start from scratch, these days you even get ready-made kits where you just have to
assemble the mousetrap car. There would be instructions given, so you need not think about scary things like
torsion, friction, torque and so on! Now let's move on to actually making it and see how to build a mouse
trap car. Read on .
Mouse trap Car Step by Step Instructions
Step #1
Gather the material needed for a mousetrap car. You can use different set of materials. But this one will be
built using a mouse trap, 4 eye hooks, 6 balloons, 2 Bic pens (the smooth kind), 2 tops from pop cans (for
the serious perhaps washers, or otherwise any other bendable metal), some string, 4 CDs/DVDs (expendable
ones), 3 CDRs and a blank transparent thing from the top of a spindle.
Step #2
Make the sketch pens into hollow plastic cylinders by pulling the front and the back out of them. Then, what
you need to do is taking the balloons, cut their top and bottom off. Stretch them over 2 CD's. These are
going to be your back wheels. This will help in traction as just CD's will be very slippery.
Step #3
Take stock of whether the eye hooks fit over the pens. They cannot be 'just about there' as then they would
not rotate. What we want is that they fit in a way which keeps them loose enough to rotate easily. However,
they should not be lose enough as to rattle out loud. If they do not, just make sure you slightly bend them,
leading them to rattle a bit. Amongst mousetrap car building instructions, this is a crucial one. As the wheels
are dependent on this step.
Step #4
Approximately, anticipate the center of one of those Bic pens and make a hole on that point. It has to be big
enough to take the string. An easy way to do this is to screw the eye hook in the pen and taking it out.
Step #5
Take the pen and push the string into it. Take it out on one of the sides. When the string is enough through
the pen, tie something to the other end. Pull it back through and ensure that the object or knot stops against
the other side of hole.
Step #6
Now along with the short sides, screw the 4 eyelet in the mouse trap. Try and maintain the depth, about the
same. This will help the axle later going through them is somewhat straight. Take care that you do not crack
the mouse trap more than required. This is very important when it comes to mouse trap car instructions.
Step #7
Insert the front axle - the hollow pen, by pushing it through pop tabs. Pinch them to the pen to keep the pen
moving sideways and to keep those tabs stable. Further, to help them spin more freely, bend them away
from the eyelet enough. Make sure it rotates properly.
Step #8
Now is the time for front wheels. Wrapping a balloon around the pen fixed in the earlier step, try to fold it in
a way that it is seems something like a wedge on the edge of the pen. Then rotate one of the CD's sans
balloons on them on it. The direction should be the same in which you wrapped the balloon and wedge it on
the pen. Point it as straight as possible and stable in connection with the trap. Do the same thing with the
other end of the pen for your mouse trap car.
Step #9
It is the turn for the rear axle. For that push the pen, including the string into eyelet at the back. Let the
strings be pulled through the eyelet to get them between the eyelet. In case you want to widen them, slide
them through the gap. Follow that by tying the string to the top of the flap. This flap will move as the trap
springs.
Step #10
The rear wheels are to be attached exactly like the front wheels. Then, gently turn the back wheels in the
backward direction. To be sure of the direction, put the mousetrap car on a surface and ten pull it backward.
Raise the flap slightly when it starts to catch and keep turning till the trap starts loading. Continue doing this,
until it is pulled, all the way back. Hitch it as you would generally do while setting up a mouse trap. One of
the important mousetrap car tips is that here take a bit of care. If the string snaps, the trap will close in a jiffy
and anything in its way will get hit. Thus avoid getting in that 'ouch' position by being careful.
Step #11
Ultimately, to make your mouse trap car mobile, tap the trigger and there you go! If the wheels seem flimsy
and stable, readjust them, get them straighter and give it another shot. Hopefully, this time it should be well
on its way, if at all it didn't for the first run!
Mousetrap car can be made from absolutely anything you use daily, except for the mouse trap, which has to
be there! Of course, you can have variations and make it more sophisticated using high tech tool and the
likes!
Finally, here I end my treatise or rather something resembling a thesis on mouse trap car!
larry h miller used cars