Optimizing Lever Arm Length and Material for Maximum Distance in a Mousetrap Car

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

To optimize the distance of a mousetrap car, a long lever arm is recommended, as evidenced by a friend's car achieving nearly 100 meters. The lever arm's length allows for a gradual descent, which contributes to sustained momentum. Additionally, using a fishing rod string instead of a standard rubber string enhances performance by providing better elasticity and stability. These factors are crucial for maximizing the distance traveled by the car.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of lever mechanics and physics principles
  • Familiarity with materials such as fishing rod string and rubber bands
  • Basic knowledge of mousetrap car design
  • Experience with measuring distances accurately
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of levers and their impact on motion
  • Explore different materials for lever arms and their effects on performance
  • Investigate the properties of fishing rod strings versus rubber strings
  • Learn about optimizing weight distribution in mousetrap car design
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for students, hobbyists, and educators involved in engineering projects, particularly those focused on physics experiments and design challenges related to mousetrap cars.

decibel
Messages
107
Reaction score
1
am doing mine for distance should i have a long lever arm or a short lever arm, and how long should it be? and should i use a like a rubber string or just a normal one and how long should that be?


thanks if you can reply by today
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, I have made a mousetrap car not too long ago so hopefully I can help. :smile: However, mine was very different from the rest of the cars, but it went 3m.

My friend's mousetrap car got the first place (almost 100m!) and his lever arm was very long. Also, I think he used a fishing rod string. When the mousetrap car was moving the leverarm went down very slowly, allowing the car to go further. If the leverarm goes down quickly, the car will also stop quickly.

Sorry, that's all I can remember... I just had a quick glance, I didn't look at it too closely.
 
wut kind of rod do u think i should use

a fishing rod?
 
Well, I don't *think* it really matters, as long as it's stable and not too heavy. :smile:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
8K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
9K