Building a car in AP Physics, Need Suggestions

[mdoucette225]

Building a car in AP Physics, Need Suggestions!

Homework Statement

Hello, I am in need of suggestions on a project that was recently assigned to my AP Physics class. The challenge was to make a "Tank" (any vehicle) that will go down a ramp, shoot a projectile over a 1.5ft wall, and go back up the ramp.

The instructions of this project are as follows:
-The ramp is 12 feet by 2 feet wide and at a 20 degree slope to the horizontal.
-No incendiaries allowed.
-Electricity can be used, but cannot exceed 3V (2 AA batteries)
-The vehicle must stop in the "stopping zone" that is 12 inches long by 8 inches wide starting 18 inches from the bottom of the ramp.
-A 1.5ft wall is to be placed at the bottom of the ramp.
-The vehicle must shoot a projectile (minimum of .5in diameter, maximum of 1 inch, but not limited to spheres) over the wall and must hit a target placed 10 feet away from the wall.
-The vehicle may not be interfered with until the run is over.
-No guiding devices may be used (ie; strings, pulleys)

As you can see, there are not a lot of methods we can utilize, but I am willing and grateful for any suggestions anyone may have.

Thank you.

Homework Equations

None.

The Attempt at a Solution

Other than some preliminary sketches of our ideas, our group really doesn't have any idea where to start.

 

[jdwood983]

I would visit a hobby shop (one that sells model airplanes, trains, etc) and ask for suggestions. This store will likely be your best friend for this project; most of what you'll need can (should) be found there.

For sure, you'll need a frame, a drive shaft of some sort (motor, wheels, and axle), and some circuit board to operate these. You'll also need a spring and pin system to fire the projectile. There are probably other things you may want to include that I can't think of, but this should be a starting point.

Hope this helps!