It's time to race that mousetrap car, and you want yours to be the fastest? Then this is the right article for you! Remember, if you choose speed, your car will go a shorter distance, but it will go faster. If you want your car to go the farthest, read Adapt a Mousetrap Car for Distance.
1The deck : You want to reduce weight, which will reduce rolling friction with the ground. Trim the deck down so it is the size of the mousetrap before using glue to attach the mousetrap to the deck. When gluing down the deck, put it as close to the back wheels as it can be without touching.Ad
2Use glue whenever you need to attach something. Tape can be used too, but glue is smoother and weighs less. Whatever you do, don't use metal bolts; they just add weight!
3For the lever arm: trim it down so that it's end is just at the rear axle. It's probably going to be very short, which is good--the shorter it is the better. It should be either the same size or slightly smaller than the back wheels. The back wheels should be as small as possible, and the back axle should be as large as possible. You might even want to wind tape around the inside of it where the string will wind to add speed (good string grip). Old CD's make good wheels because they are thin and create less friction.Ad
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- Traction This is what you call friction when it is used to your advantage. Friction should be maximized where needed (where the string wraps around the axle and where the wheels contact the floor). Slipping string or wheels equals wasted energy.
- Inertia How much energy does it take to get your car started? A lighter car requires less. Lower the mass of your vehicle for best speed.
- Rate of Energy Release If the energy is released quickly, the power is used all at once and the car will travel faster. One way to speed up this energy release is to shorten the lever arm. A short arm travels a short distance (quickly) but allows fewer wraps of string around the axle. The car will go fast, but not far.
- Wheel-to-axle ratio For speed, use small wheels and a large axle.
- Friction Minimize friction on the axle by minimizing the contact surface area. A thin steel bracket was used in this example. At first a hole drilled through a wood block was used to hold the axle. This was abandoned because the larger surface area causes to car to use energy overcoming friction rather than traveling forward.
- This is for speed, not distance. Don't be surprised if it doesn't go very far!
In other languages:
Español: Cómo adaptar un carrito de trampa para ratones para que sea más rápido, Русский: сделать более быстрой автомобильную мышеловку, Português: Como Aumentar a Velocidade de um Carrinho de Ratoeira
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