Mousetrap Car Construction
Build a vehicle powered solely by the energy of one standard-sized mousetrap that will travel the greatest linear distance.
You were given a Mousetrap Car Kit that contains most of the needed materials to construct a successful Mousetrap Car. However, you are more than welcome to use other materials as long as you comply with the basic regulations stated below.
PROJECT RULES:
1. The device must be powered by a single mousetrap.
2. The mousetrap can not be physically altered except for the following:
4. The spring from the mousetrap cannot be altered or heat-treated.
5. The spring cannot be wound more than its normal travel distance or 180 degrees.
6. Vehicles must be self-starting. Vehicles may not receive a push in the forward direction or side direction.
7. The vehicle must steer itself in a straight line for a minimum of 5 meters.
8. Distance will be measured from the front of the tape at the starting line to the point of the vehicle that was closest to the start line at the time of release.
9. Must use only the materials on the list:
You will be provided with the following:
mousetrap (if you break your mousetrap, you will be responsible for providing another)
1 plastic bottle
plastic cups
6 paint stirrers
popsicle sticks
balloons
zip ties
1 pool noodle
1 foil pan
1 roll of duct tape
wooden skewers
4 manila folders
4 unsharpened pencils
4 corks
8 straws
small portion of modeling clay
pieces of tissue paper
string
You may also use (but you must provide):
CDs or DVDs
paper towel or bath tissue tubes
any type of cardboard
egg cartons
cereal boxes
metal sticks
bottle caps
rubber stoppers
1. The device must be powered by a single mousetrap.
2. The mousetrap can not be physically altered except for the following:
- four holes can be drilled only to mount the mousetrap to the frame and a mousetrap’s spring can be removed only to adjust the length of its lever arm.
4. The spring from the mousetrap cannot be altered or heat-treated.
5. The spring cannot be wound more than its normal travel distance or 180 degrees.
6. Vehicles must be self-starting. Vehicles may not receive a push in the forward direction or side direction.
7. The vehicle must steer itself in a straight line for a minimum of 5 meters.
8. Distance will be measured from the front of the tape at the starting line to the point of the vehicle that was closest to the start line at the time of release.
9. Must use only the materials on the list:
You will be provided with the following:
mousetrap (if you break your mousetrap, you will be responsible for providing another)
1 plastic bottle
plastic cups
6 paint stirrers
popsicle sticks
balloons
zip ties
1 pool noodle
1 foil pan
1 roll of duct tape
wooden skewers
4 manila folders
4 unsharpened pencils
4 corks
8 straws
small portion of modeling clay
pieces of tissue paper
string
You may also use (but you must provide):
CDs or DVDs
paper towel or bath tissue tubes
any type of cardboard
egg cartons
cereal boxes
metal sticks
bottle caps
rubber stoppers