Mouse+Trap+Car+Page

Overview Your goal in this project will be to combine all that you have and will learn about motion, forces, and Newton's Laws to build a homemade racer. You should take the mousetrap and design a car with wheels that uses the energy released from the snap of the trap to achieve both speed and distance.

The majority of your work will be completed outside of class on your own time. Periodically, you will take some time in class to discuss your progress and/or work on your car. See the project timeline if you have any questions about due dates.

At the end of the project timeline, each class will hold time trials to judge the best in the speed and distance categories. The top 2 finishers from each category in each class will then move on to a competition to be held during common time. Grading for this project will depend on your problem solving, planning, function, construction, creativity, and participation.

Rules

 * 1) Build a car that will move when a mousetrap is sprung. The trap must be a part of the car and move with the car. **No other means of locomotive power are legal.**
 * 2) Rubber bands, elastics, etc. are not legal in propelling the car.
 * 3) Students may **NOT** use plans or kits purchased or copied from the Internet. Originality will be rewarded!
 * 4) Each class will have "time trials" during class. Winners will be the cars that move the farthest and/or the fastest.




 * The fastest car will be determined by measuring the time it takes the car to cover a distance of 4 meters.
 * The farthest car will be determined by measuring the distance the car covers until it comes to a stop.

5. The top 2 finishers in each category (speed & distance) will move on to compete in the finals in the Multi-Purpose Room/Empty hallway during Homeroom Time.