Cumulative Lab: Mousetrap Car

Purpose: Build a mousetrap car that maximizes distance traveled..

Step 1: Build the Mousetrap Car ( ____ /5 pts)

Watch the “how to” video and use the examples provided in class to build your mousetrap car. List the materials you
used, and describe your procedure in 6-10 steps.

Materials:

Bamboo skewers 3 CDS 4

Mousetra s
1 Cardboard 2
straws 6 Zip ties 7 string 8 Tape 9 Hotglue
Procedure: 12 Gather Data
1 gather materials 13 DO conclusion questions
2 cut out base or car
3 Make wheels using DS
9 Adding Axles Attachingwheels to car
s making lever arm
6 Attatching lever arm to mousetrap
7 Attatin string to lever arm
8 Affatch mousetrap to car
9 Addstraws for less friction
10 Attatin
string to axle
Test car
Step 2: Collect Data (____/3 pts)

Data Table
Distance Traveled (m) Time (s)

6.5 7.42
Unwinding Phase
m
Coasting Phase
a as
Total trip
6,7 Sm 16.79
136 136 kg
Mass of final mousetrap car design = _____________ grams = __________
 Step 3: Calculations (____/12 pts)

Unwinding Phase
Variable Equation Space to show your work Final Answer

Average Velocity
0.7 ms

751.4ms
Maximum Velocity r
e

Acceleration
1
YE 0.1888m

_1888 0.02867
Net Force
FINA 136
Average Momentum 136 7 0095219ms
A V
Maximum
0.0452 2
Momentum
0,1904 Kams
M.V.am
Average Kinetic
12.136 72 0.0333 5
KEEN
Energy

0.13325
Maximum Kinetic
Energy
0 3331 4
KEENE
Coasting Phase
Variable Equation Space to show your work Final Answer

Average Velocity
1m Gs 0.621ms

Maximum Velocity nav 0.0215 1m75

1 0.128
Acceleration

50 ms
MA 136.012 VAIN
f
Net Force

**See final page for bonus calculations**

Step 4: Reflect and Conclude (___/20 pts)

● Answer each question with at least three complete sentences

● Answer independently (your answers should not be identical to your partners’)
● You may use your textbook as a source; if you are using direct quotes, make sure to use quotation marks

Reflections on Design Process

1. Between your initial and final design, describe changes you made and how you attempted to maximize the
distance traveled.

From the initial design there were two main changes that I
made to the car. The rst thing that I did to improve the
car was to add straws in between the wheels and the
straw that holds the axle in place to stop the wheel from
coming into contact with the base of the car. The second
main change was making the car lighter. This was done by
making cutouts into the base of the car while also keeping
it stable to maximize distance.
 2. What changes would you make to your design if you had more time and/or materials?

One change that I would make is changing the material of the base of
the car from cardboard to a lighter and more stable material. Another
change that I would make is a more stable and better lever arm that is
properly attached to the mousetrap. The nal change that I would make
is using proper wheels instead of CDs.

Physics Connections
3. What individual forces were acting on the car as its velocity increased? Which of these forces was “winning,” or
resulting in the overall net force? Hint: make a force diagram to help your explanation
During the two phases of the car, only one of them has the velocity
increasing. In the unwinding phase of the car the force was applied force
coming from the mousetrap winning against the force of friction. During
the coasting phase there is no instance where the velocity increases.

A
4. What individual forces were acting on the car as its velocity decreased? Which of these forces was “winning,” or
resulting in the overall net force? Hint: make a force diagram to help your explanation

Similar to the previous question, only one of the phases of the

mousetrap car involves the car decreasing. During the unwinding phase
the car increases velocity. On the other hand during the coasting phase
there is no force other than friction which causes the car to decrease in
velocity.

5. Describe the energy transformations that took place between activating the mousetrap and the car coming to a
complete stop. What forms of energy did you observe?

When winding the car up the energy is potential energy. Next

when the car is unwinding the potential energy is turned into
kinetic energy. Finally, when the car is coasting the energy turns
into heat.

6. Compare and contrast the tangential velocity of a point on the outer rim of the wheel axle (wooden skewer) and a
point on the outer rim of the car wheels (cds).

The tangential velocity of the wheel axle is greatly smaller than

the outer rim. The tangential velocity on the outer rim is bigger
due to the fact that it covers more distance. Following the same
idea, the axle has less because it covers less distance.
7. Compare and contrast the angular velocity of the wheel axle (wooden skewer) and the car wheels (cds).

The angular velocities of the axle and the wheel are the same.
The wheel and axle are connected and therefore spin the same
amount of times. Because of this the axle and the wheel have
the same angular velocity

8. Explain the factors that determine rotational inertia. How does rotational inertia apply to the wheels you used for
your car?

The two factors for rotational inertia are mass and distribution of
mass. Rotational inertia matters because since our wheels our
solid we have more mass closer to the center causing less
rotational inertia. This makes it so that our car’s wheels are
easier to get going.

9. Describe how the concept of torque applies to the motion of your mousetrap car.

The concept of torque has to do with our car because it is

about the rotation of the wheels. Torque is a perpendicular
force that causes an object to rotate. Torque is the force that
causes our car to rotate the wheels

10. Describe how the concept of work applies to the motion of your mousetrap car.

Work is force * distance and it is a key concept in the way our

car works. The work on the car is the force that the lever arm
exerts on the axle parallel to the direction of movement. This
concept is vital to how our car can function.
 Optional Bonus Calculations

Variable Equation Space to show your work Final Answer

Net Work done on

the car as the spring
unwinds

Work done by
friction

Work done by spring

Power exerted by
spring

Impulse exerted by
spring