How do you make a mousetrap car more accurate?

How do you make a mousetrap car more accurate?

Using large rear wheels allow one rotation of the axle to take the car a much further distance. In other words, a given length of the string from the mousetrap moves the car a greater distance. The last note is to place your mousetrap as close to the front of the car as possible.

What is a good distance for a mousetrap car?

The distance between the opened and closed positions of the bar of a mousetrap is typically 10 cm, so this is how much string would be pulled. Wrapped around even a small diameter axle, this amount of string will not create enough revolutions to move the car as far as it might go.

In what position does the lever arm of a mousetrap create the most torque?

Shorter lever arm on a mouse trap have more force at there tip than longer lever arms. In this activity you will time your mousetrap car over a 5-meter distance. Between each time trail you will shorten the length of the mouse trap’s lever arm and reposition the mouse trap on the frame.

How long should the string be on a mousetrap car?

Do not put slack in the string as it is wound around the drive axle by holding down on the mousetrap. The string should be pulled tightly by the mousetrap’s lever as it is wound around the axle. The string should be “just” long enough to reach from the tip of the lever arm to the drive axle’s hook.

Are Bigger wheels better for a mousetrap car?

By changing the size of the drive wheel(s) you can speed-up or slow-down your mousetrap vehicle. Larger drive wheels will have a greater travel distance per each turn compared to smaller drive wheel.

What string is best for a mousetrap car?

The string has to be strong enough to handle the pulling force but flexible and thin enough to wind tightly around the drive axle. We recommend using a Kevlar based fishing line because its high strength. You should stay away from nylon fishing line and dental floss, these do not work well with mousetrap racers.

Where is the best place to put a mouse trap?

The first step in determining the best place for mouse traps is to find areas with evidence of mouse activity. For example, if you are seeing gnawed cereal boxes in your kitchen, that would probably be a good place to start for laying traps.

How do you control the speed of a mousetrap car?

Changing and/or attaching a lever arm to the mousetrap is the number one way to control a mousetrap vehicle’s performance. Shorter lever arms have more pulling force and produce greater acceleration. But, if the lever arm is to short the pulling force will be so larger that the drive wheels will spin out at the start.

When to put a mouse trap in your attic?

If you have heard noises in your attic at night, then that it the area that you should start. When laying mouse traps, you should always look for confined areas first, especially if you notice signs that a mouse can use a mouse to travel around your home.

How do you change the snapper on a mouse trap?

Changing the length of a mouse trap’s snapper (or lever arm) is how you control a mousetrap vehicle’s acceleration and/or travel distance. Different lengths of lever arms can be used to increase and/or decrease the pulling force and change the amount of string that can be pulled off the drive axle.