Mouse Trap Cars Introduction:

A mousetrap car is a miniature vehicle powered by the spring device of a mousetrap. Building mousetrap cars is a project in many middle schools and high schools science classes.

The mousetrap car is a problem solving activity in which students are encouraged to develop a self-prepared vehicle by harnessing the power which can be stored in a mousetrap spring and transferring it to wheels to propel the vehicle. Many challenges must be solved, transfer power, ratio of part sizes, maximize performance with minimum weight, overcoming friction, attaching parts, and implementing simple and complex machines.

Objective

To build the mousetrap car within our specifications that will travel the farthest. The car must be built out of approved raw materials, and the only source of energy for propulsion will be the spring of a common household mousetrap.

Apparatus

• Building Materials:
  • Any kit materials.
• Dimensions / Specifications:
  1. Max Length - 45 cm.
  2. Max Width - 20 cm.
  3. Max Height - 20 cm.
  4. Min ground clearance - 4 cm.
  5. Mass - 2 kg.

Competition

1. Teams must submit their car 1/2 hour before the race for inspection.
2. If the car fails inspection, the team will be given 15 minutes to modify the car to pass inspection.
3. The only stored energy allowed on the vehicle before the race start will be the mousetrap spring.
4. The distance recorded will be measured perpendicular to the starting line
5. The cars will run concurrently, and the winner of one run will be the car that travels farthest.
6. The race will consist of three runs, the winner will be the winner of two or more of the three runs.
7. Teams will be given 15 minutes to make repairs or modifications between runs.

Judging and Scoring

1. One point will be awarded to the car that wins each race.
2. The winner of the match will be the team with the higher number of points after three races.