How to Adapt a Mousetrap Car for Speed
Shorten the lever arm., Find smaller wheels., Increase the size of the axle., Increase traction., Keep on trying.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Shorten the lever arm.
Installing a shorter lever arm is the best way to adapt a racer for speed.
However, if the lever is too short, it will spin out.
There is no precise formula for how long the lever should be.
Experiment to see how short you can get the lever while maintaining control of the car.
Longer lever arms will extend the time in which the axle is pulled.
This will make it travel longer distances before the car reaches maximum speed.
As a result, it will go slower, but move further.
Which is why the length of the lever arm is the most important factor in whether a racer is fitted for distance or speed. -
Step 2: Find smaller wheels.
When you increase the size of the wheel, the amount of torque necessary to begin a rotation increases as well.
A smaller wheel is easier to turn.
So you should make sure that your driving (front) wheel is as small as possible.
A good standard is approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Use materials that are as lightweight as possible.A larger wheel means more rotational inertia, which keeps the wheel moving once it gets going, but reduces acceleration.
As with the shorter axis, a smaller wheel is a trade-off between distance and speed.
The overall distance traveled will decrease as you reduce the size of the driving wheel.
As with most features of a mousetrap racer, performance can vary even when using very similar specs.
You always need to experiment to determine what the most functional design is. , The greater the ratio of the diameter of the axle to the wheel, the less force will be required to accelerate the car.
In other words, you should match a larger axle with a smaller wheel to increase acceleration.
Conversely, a mousetrap racer built for distance should have a smaller axle and a larger driving wheel.One easy way to adapt the size of the axle is to wrap tape around it.
You don't need to wrap tape around the entire length of the axle, which would likely be counterproductive, because it would increase friction.
Just wrap tape around the center of the axle, where it does not come into contact with the frame.
This added weight will increase the torque of the axle.
You can easily experiment to find the correct amount of torque by adding and removing layers of tape., For the wheel to pick up speed it needs to create pressure against the ground.
For the wheel, use a material with a rough texture around the outside to give the wheel traction.
Alternatively, cut something that has a rough surface such as a rubber balloon.
Glue strips of this material to the outside of the wheel to give it traction., There are so many variables involved in the physics of a mousetrap racer that even similarly built cars operate differently.
The only way to perfect your model is to experiment with small variations in design to determine what works best.
Similarly study mousetrap racers that have won competitions in the past.
Learn from designs that you know work. -
Step 3: Increase the size of the axle.
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Step 4: Increase traction.
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Step 5: Keep on trying.
Detailed Guide
Installing a shorter lever arm is the best way to adapt a racer for speed.
However, if the lever is too short, it will spin out.
There is no precise formula for how long the lever should be.
Experiment to see how short you can get the lever while maintaining control of the car.
Longer lever arms will extend the time in which the axle is pulled.
This will make it travel longer distances before the car reaches maximum speed.
As a result, it will go slower, but move further.
Which is why the length of the lever arm is the most important factor in whether a racer is fitted for distance or speed.
When you increase the size of the wheel, the amount of torque necessary to begin a rotation increases as well.
A smaller wheel is easier to turn.
So you should make sure that your driving (front) wheel is as small as possible.
A good standard is approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Use materials that are as lightweight as possible.A larger wheel means more rotational inertia, which keeps the wheel moving once it gets going, but reduces acceleration.
As with the shorter axis, a smaller wheel is a trade-off between distance and speed.
The overall distance traveled will decrease as you reduce the size of the driving wheel.
As with most features of a mousetrap racer, performance can vary even when using very similar specs.
You always need to experiment to determine what the most functional design is. , The greater the ratio of the diameter of the axle to the wheel, the less force will be required to accelerate the car.
In other words, you should match a larger axle with a smaller wheel to increase acceleration.
Conversely, a mousetrap racer built for distance should have a smaller axle and a larger driving wheel.One easy way to adapt the size of the axle is to wrap tape around it.
You don't need to wrap tape around the entire length of the axle, which would likely be counterproductive, because it would increase friction.
Just wrap tape around the center of the axle, where it does not come into contact with the frame.
This added weight will increase the torque of the axle.
You can easily experiment to find the correct amount of torque by adding and removing layers of tape., For the wheel to pick up speed it needs to create pressure against the ground.
For the wheel, use a material with a rough texture around the outside to give the wheel traction.
Alternatively, cut something that has a rough surface such as a rubber balloon.
Glue strips of this material to the outside of the wheel to give it traction., There are so many variables involved in the physics of a mousetrap racer that even similarly built cars operate differently.
The only way to perfect your model is to experiment with small variations in design to determine what works best.
Similarly study mousetrap racers that have won competitions in the past.
Learn from designs that you know work.
About the Author
Jennifer Morales
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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