My Problems and Solutions with My Mouse Trap Car

To start this off i just have to say that i had so many problems making my mousetrap car.  I decided to make my own simple design rather than copy off of online. I wanted to see how well i could make a mousetrap car with my imagination and the little i learned in class, so i decided to make my car before researching about all the different techniques used to make a better mouse trap car. For my design I decided that the best way to make the car was using parts from a toy truck. I took the wheels and  axle off of the toy truck and screw it on to the bottom of the wood that my mouse trap was attached to. I then tied string to the mouse trap and an axle that had friction tape on it. This project took me about 7 hours to complete in total. I came up with such a simple final model for the amount of time that i put into creating it.

Here is a list of problems that i came upon:

1. Choosing a design- I worked on many different designs before making my final product. I was going to use pvc pipe as an axle along with wooden wheels but thought there would be too much mass and the friction would increase. I also was going to use a brass rod as an axle with cds but couldnt find a way to make the cds stay exactly where i wanted them.



2. Wheels- First i wanted to use wood that i cut out in a circle but i thought it would have too much friction with the ground and it wouldn't go far. Second I wanted to use Cd's like most others  but thought that it wouldn't get enough traction on the ground to move quickly.  I came to the conclusion that i would use wheels from a toy truck because they would have enough traction and still move quickly


3. Friction between string and axle- After finishing my design, i decided to test it out. I tried once or twice but it wasn't moving. I then saw the string was getting pulled and the axle was staying still. I then used friction tape and it allowed the string to wrap around the axle and spin it when the trap was released.


Here are some pictures of one of my mouse trap cars.

Mouse Trap Cars

A mousetrap powered car is a vehicle that uses a mouse trap for a motor and a string to transmit force. In this method one end of a string is attached or tied to the arm on the mousetrap and the other end of the string is wound around an axle.
By winding the string around the axle the mouse trap's spring is stretched and now you have your stored energy. As the mousetrap car is released the mouse trap pulls the string off of the axle causing the wheels to turn and off the vehicle goes.

There are many different designs for mouse trap cars. Some are made for distance and others made for speed. 

Video: Mouse trap car for distance

Video: Mouse trap car for speed

There are many different designs online. Most use either cd's or records as wheels. Many also use levers to reduce the amount of torque applied to the wheels. Overall the different designs of the cars show all the different ways the cars can be made and still work effectively. Some designs on websites also have kits you can buy to make the car easier.