MouseTrap Racers

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
How do you create a mouse trap racer?
- Russell Stevenson
Star Valley High School
A:
Russell -

Here at the Physics Van, we’re not really experts on the absolute best designs for mouse trap racers, but here’s the basic idea:

You tie the end of a string to one of the axles of the "car." Then you wind the string up around the axle. (Make sure you wind it the right way, so that your car doesn’t end up going backwards.) The other end of the string is tied to the moving metal part of the mousetrap. When the mousetrap pops, it pulls on the string, turning the axle, and making the wheels turn. If you extend the length of the metal piece (say by attaching a long metal stick to it), you can pull the string even further, rotating the axle even more times. Also, bigger wheels and a thin axle will help your car to move through more distance for how much the string is pulled.

This information came from Doc Fizzix’s page. For more information on just about anything to do with MouseTrap Racers, check out . There’s lots of good stuff like plans for prizewinning racers, and even a book you can order all about MouseTrap Racers.

-Tamara

(published on 10/22/2007)