How do you reduce friction on a mousetrap car wheel?
Try to have a minimum gap of 1/8 inch between the frame and any spacers (or wheels) in order to decrease any rubbing friction. Use thrust washers and graphite powder between spacers (or wheels) and the frame to help reduce the rubbing friction.
How do you fix this mouse trap car suddenly stops or slows quickly?
Axle Points Test spin your mousetrap racers wheels in order to see how friction-free they spin. If the wheels stop spinning fairly quickly then you will need to find ways to reduce the axle friction. Try using graphite powder or even replacing bushings with ball bearings.
How can you increase the traction of the mousetrap car?
To adapt your mousetrap car for distance, use large, light wheels for less friction and greater inertia. For example, old CDs make great wheels to increase distance. If your car is a rear-wheel drive car, set the wheels on a narrow rear axle so the wheels turn more and travel further.
What are the best size wheels for a mousetrap car?
The ideal size for an ultra big wheel on a long distance mousetrap racer seams to be somewhere between 10 and 15 inches. And the ideal size for a drive wheel on a speed-trap racer seams to be between 2 and 3 inches but no more than 4 inches.
How does bearing friction affect a mousetrap car?
Impacts on speed and Distance Because ball bearings reduce the frictional impact on a mousetrap car’s axles, the amount of energy lost to friction is significantly reduced. Because there is less energy lost, the more energy can be used to power the vehicle, allowing for faster speeds and a greater distance traveled.
Why is my mouse trap car not moving?
If a mousetrap vehicle is struggling to move and/or needs more acceleration then the lever arms can be shortened in order to increase the pulling force. Keep in mind that you will also have to reposition the mouse trap closer to the drive axle or the system will not work as intended.
What makes a mouse trap car fast?
A speedy mousetrap car will have smaller wheels (faster acceleration), a shorter lever arm (increased torque, but smaller travel distance), a larger axle (increased acceleration) and will generally be smaller to decrease air resistance.
How do you increase the acceleration of a mousetrap car?
A larger axle increases acceleration, but requires more string per revolution. Smaller axle = Less string per turn which increases distance. Larger axle = More string per turn which decreases distance but increases acceleration.
How wide should a mousetrap car be?
Dimensions / Specifications: Max Length – 45 cm. Max Width – 20 cm. Height – 20 cm.
What is the point of friction on a mousetrap car?
The number one point of friction on any mousetrap car is where the axles comes in contact with the frame of the vehicle. In most cases an axle will be in direct contact with the frame and there is a lot that can be done to decrease the friction at this contact point. A bushing is nothing more than a simple bearing.
How do you attach a mousetrap to a car?
Use two or three 4” zip ties to secure the ¼ inch dowel to the snap arm and reinforce with tape or hot glue. Glue the mousetrap in place towards the front on the topside of the car with hot glue.
What materials are used in a mousetrap car?
The latest mousetrap car uses a foam block for a chassis, coat hanger wire for axles, and CD wheels. This design works well but it was designed mainly to be inexpensive. The Doc Fizzix’s mousetrap cars use more expensive materials such as brass axles and lever arm which is better.
What is the mechanical advantage of a mousetrap?
In the mousetrap car one axle acts like a pulley as the string is wrapped around it. The diameter of axle in relation to the diameter of the driving wheels is the mechanical advantage. Wheel – mousetrap car rolls on wheels this is the geometric shape of a circle.