Mouse Trap Car

Introduction: For this project we had to design a car that could be powered by a mousetrap. We were  somewhat limited to the materials that we had  to work with but if we could find something that would be useful then we could use it.

Technological Concepts: The main thing that we had to consider when we were designing our vehicle is how big of a wheel we wanted. If we had a small wheel then it would spin faster propelling the car forward with decent speed, or we could go with a bigger wheel that would turn slowly but would cover a lot of ground with just one spin of the axle.

Learning Goals: one of the learning goals there was for this project was to learn how the different size wheels would effect the car when the axle is turned. 

Design Brief: we decided to go with the small wheels so that when the mousetrap is let go the car would build up speed so that when the mouse trap has stopped then the car will continue to coast along and gain more distance. 

Positive Feedback: I liked this assignment because it helped me learn how to fix problems that keep coming up for different reasons. It also helped me work better with the trial and error process.

Redesign: I f i were to do this project over again i would try to get lighter material so that the car has less mass to weigh it down. I would also get a material that is more smooth to set the axle on so that there is less friction on the axle so it could turn easier.

Technological Resources: we used the materials given to us and shaped and put together our mousetrap car with the machines and tools in the lab. me and my partner also used a computer to look up and resarch different designs.

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge for me was trying to deiced what design I wanted to go with  because I didn't know which one would work the best. this lead to me half way through restarting so that the car could be lighter.

What I Learned: something that learned in this assignment is how the size of the wheel can effect the speed and distance.