Car powered by can of tomato soup.

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion revolves around a project requiring a car to travel exactly two meters powered by a can of tomato soup. Participants suggest various creative solutions, including using gear ratios, a watermill structure to harness the soup's flow, and tying the car to the can to control its movement. The consensus is that innovative approaches, such as utilizing gravity or friction, can effectively achieve the project's goal.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics principles, particularly gravity and friction.
  • Familiarity with mechanical concepts like gear ratios and simple machines.
  • Knowledge of fluid dynamics to utilize the soup's flow effectively.
  • Experience with basic engineering design and prototyping.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research gear ratio calculations for mechanical advantage in small projects.
  • Explore fluid dynamics principles to optimize the use of liquids in propulsion.
  • Learn about simple machines and their applications in engineering projects.
  • Investigate creative engineering solutions for weight-based propulsion systems.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for hobbyist engineers, students in physics or engineering, and anyone interested in creative problem-solving using unconventional materials.

ahrenstein
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Hey I am working on a project where I have to make a car travel EXACTLY two meters, no more and no less, and it has to be powered somehow by a can of tomato soup. You can
use the soup inside the can or just the can alone. Does anyone have any ideas or information that can help me? Thanks!
 
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I'd use a hamster trained to eat tomato soup running on a treadmill.

Sorry, it's an absurd question, but very amusing.

The problem is that 'powered somehow by a can of soup' doesn't give enough information.

Welcome to the forum, sorry I can't be of more help and thanks for a good laugh.
 
Just on top of my head. I am not an engineer yet. How about using gear ratios to take advantage of the weight of can of soup. Maybe using 2 meters of rope to move car 2 meters? Just a thought.


Added:

Now that I think about it, would need a lot longer rope due to ratio of gears.
 
Last edited:
what about turning the tomato soup upside down, open a tiny hole so it pours out, then use a watermill type structure to move the wheels with the force given by the pouring soup...if that makes any sense.
 
rusty009 said:
what about turning the tomato soup upside down, open a tiny hole so it pours out, then use a watermill type structure to move the wheels with the force given by the pouring soup...if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense. I think it is a better idea than what I had.
 
Secretblend said:
That makes perfect sense. I think it is a better idea than what I had.

Is that a sarcastic comment? lol
 
rusty009 said:
Is that a sarcastic comment? lol

LOL not at all! Sorry if it came out that way.
 
You could put the car on a 2m high table, tie the car to the can with some string, drop the can off the edge of the table, and create enough friction on the car's axles to stop it when the can touches the floor.
 
ahrenstein said:
Hey I am working on a project where I have to make a car travel EXACTLY two meters, no more and no less, and it has to be powered somehow by a can of tomato soup. You can
use the soup inside the can or just the can alone. Does anyone have any ideas or information that can help me? Thanks!

LOL. When I first read this, I thought it was a joke because I pictured a full-size car. But the OP must mean a toy car. Sheesh.
 
  • #10
berkeman said:
LOL. When I first read this, I thought it was a joke because I pictured a full-size car. But the OP must mean a toy car. Sheesh.

:rolleyes: I was thinking of full-size car also. Oh well. If it was me, I might still use full-size car for added challenge. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
Strangely enough, the very first post that I ever made on PF was similar to this one. My advice is the same now: if the rules don't prohibit it, just either build a wall at the 2-metre mark or tie a 2-metre string to the car that will stop it dead at that distance.
 
  • #12
Maybe you could mount a pump-action water gun to shoot tomato soup out the back of the car like a rocket.
 
  • #13
Crosson said:
Maybe you could mount a pump-action water gun to shoot tomato soup out the back of the car like a rocket.

I knew someone who did that on a frightening level. The diagnosis was 'irritable bowl syndrome'.
 

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