If you’re anything like me and heard about a “Mouse trap car” competition, you’d probably be like, “Huh….?”
It took me a couple weeks to finally understand what this contraption really was. The mouse trap car is a perfect combination of science, logic and fun.
Pub.sdale.org explains it very nicely…. [quote]A mouse trap-powered racer is a vehicle that is powered by the energy of a wound-up mousetrap’s spring. The car works when one end of a string is tied to the arm on the mousetrap and the other end is wound around an axle. By winding the string around the axle the mousetrap’s spring is stretched providing stored energy. As the mousetrap is released it pulls the string off of the axle causing the wheels to turn and making the car move.[/quote]
In this competition, it’s not about speed. It’s about distance! Whoever can build a car that drives the longest distance, wins.
Last year, we assisted my niece with her “mouse car” and she won the competition for her school. So this year, we’re at it again. But this time, we’re unveiling the secrets and sharing it with our readers, because quite frankly, it’s not that easy to understand the first go round. Many parents, teachers and students are not exactly sure where to begin when creating this mouse trap car. Therefore, we’ve put together this video along with a materials list to show you how easy it is to make a winning mouse trap car.
I hope you enjoy it!
Materials list for building the Mouse Trap Car
So, here’s what you’ll need to put together the mouse trap car demonstrated in the video above.
- ¾” Corner guard molding for main body (Sold in 8ft lengths)
- ¾” Lattice for body cross members (Sold in 8ft lengths)
- Metal rod for lever arm
- Threaded metal rod for axle (appropriately sized)
- 4 CDs or an equivalent for wheels
- Fender washer and nuts to attach wheels to CD’s (appropriately sized)
- 1 Small mousetrap (Victor brand recommended)
- String
- Super Glue
- Tie wraps
What about you? Do you have any ideas about how to improve upon the mouse trap car? Share your ideas in the comment box below.
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