Nothing: Force and Lever Arm Essay

Submitted By susansmith123
Words: 829
Pages: 4
Open Document
What is a mousetrap powered car and how does it work?

A mouse trap-powered car is powered by the energy of a wound-up mousetrap's spring. The most basic design is to tie one end of a string to the tip of a mousetrap's snapper arm. The other end of the string has a loop that is designed to catch a hook that is glued to a drive axle. Once the loop is placed over the axle hook, the string is wound around the drive axle by turning the wheels in the opposite direction of the vehicle's intended motion. As the string winds around the axle, the snapper's lever arm is pulled closer to the drive axle causing the mousetrap's spring to wind-up and store energy. When the drive wheels are released, the string is pulled off the drive axle by the mousetrap causing the wheels to rotate.

A string is attached to the mousetrap's lever arm and then hooked to the drive axle. The loop knot tied at one end is designed to catch a hook attached to the drive axle. It is also designed so that the string can release itself after the pulling force is spent. If the axle's hook is too long or the string's loop knot is too tight, the string will not properly release from the axle and your vehicle will suddenly stop.

To wind the string around the axle, the wheels are turned in the direction opposite to the motion of the vehicle's travel. It is important that the string NOT be wound loosely or it will snag itself as it is pulled from the axle by the lever arm. Don't push on the mousetrap's lever arm during this process, you want the string to be tight and to pull the lever arm over.

Once the car is released, the string is pulled off the axle and causes the wheels to rotate, which propels the vehicle. If the mousetrap is located too close to the drive axle the wheels will spin at the start and waste energy.

How do you build your mousetrap car?
There's no single way to build one. The best approach is to apply your best understanding of the laws of physics without over exaggerating any one concept to your design. To build the perfect mousetrap car you have to find a balance between all the elements and variable that will affect the car's performance. Be willing to try something original. The first step to making a good car is simple, put something together and find out how it works, it may not be pretty but it's a start. Once you have something working you can begin to isolate the variables that are affecting the performance and learn to adjust to improve your results. Building these cars is a simple process of design engineering, you build, you test and experiment, you change, and you do it all over again.

Considerations
What is the difference between a good speed racer and a good distance traveler?

A good distance car will not be a good speed racer. When you build a car for distance, you want a small energy consumption per second or a small power usage. Smaller power outputs will produce less wasted
Show More

Related Documents: Nothing: Force and Lever Arm Essay

Robotics in Surgery Essay

invasive microsurgery procedures, such as beating heart, endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (E-CABG) and initiated more complex procedures like a mitral valve surgery. Hermes is another important robotic system that does not use robotic arms but is used to connect all the intelligent tools in the operating room. It is a centralized networking platform designed to control many devices which allows surgeons to voice control them. Networking all the components in the room also gave the robotic…

Words 5199 - Pages 21

The Bankruptcy Of Collective Security

the abomination of the atrocities of 14-18, the League of Nations intends to solve the international tensions by the dialogue and by the law and either by the trial of strength. It thus makes of the diplomacy the main lever of the relations between States, legitimizing the call to arms only in case of ultimate recourse. This political line, tinged with idealism, tilts more to recognize to the States of the praiseworthy intentions rather that a will to satisfy strictly national interests. This tendency…

Words 3701 - Pages 15

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Essay

Science For Living Notes (Compiled) Table of Contents Unit 1 Measurement 5-10 Unit 2 Matter 11-48 Unit 3 Basic materials for maintaining life Air 49-54 Water 55-68 Food 69-71 Other biomolecules of life 72-76 Unit 4 Energy in the Community Electricity 77-78 Heat 78-81 Light 82-91 Sound 92 Simple Machines 93-99 Unit 5 The Physical Environment Weather and Climate 100-113 Soils 114-128…

Words 35677 - Pages 143

Investing For Our Future Essay

centuries. The rocket that propelled us to the moon is really symbolic of the future of our species. Will we someday reach this golden age of human society free from war, poverty and ignorance? Or will the very fuel that moves us be the explosive force that destroys from within? Today we face countless threats to the future of our country and the future of our world. The invesments we make now need to be focused on tomorrows generation and not on the greed of men today. We need to find sustainable…

Words 6415 - Pages 26

Kids Lost Essay

perceive a mythic patterning of the specifically West Indian subject matter. Lovelace's setting is T r i n i d a d , rural and urban; his themes are universal, centring on the innate divinity of man and the need to preserve this against dehumanizing forces and inhuman values in modern society. Inevitably, then, physical locations i n the novels suggest archetypal landscapes symbolic of states of spiritual development. Commonly, rural landscape is interpreted according to the pastoral tradition and becomes…

Words 6450 - Pages 26

Essay on Sexual Dysfunction

Masturbation — From Stigma to Sexual Health A 15-year old girl asks, "Hi, I'm female, and I'm wondering how my sex is supposed to go about masturbating? I mean, it's easy enough for guys, but how do girls do it without seriously hurting ourselves." A 16-year-old asks, "Is it okay to masturbate?" Another 16-year-old asks, "Is it normal?" A 17-year-old young man asks, "Is it OK for males?" An 18-year-old asks, "It feels really nice, but is it bad for me?" A 15-year-old also asks, "Is it bad?"…

Words 9449 - Pages 38

Developmental Psychology and Children Essays

Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage May 2008 Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five STATUTORY FRAMEWORK NON-STATUTORY GUIDANCE Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage Contents Section 1 – Implementing the EYFS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Introduction Putting the Principles into practice General points on provision of the EYFS Meeting the diverse needs of children Partnership working Flexible provision…

Words 43539 - Pages 175