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Recommended: Engineers mechanics: static and dynamics

1) Research the Problem
a) When the lever is winded up and all set for release the Mousetrap Car (MTP) has potential energy that will be used to accelerate the car. 2) When the lever is released the string is pulled from its ready position on the axle causing the level to pull the string causing a pulling force on the string by the lever. 3) When the lever is released and the string is pulled the back wheels of the MTC are beginning to move because of the potential energy that is now kinetic energy which causes rolling friction between the Mousetrap Cars wheels and the ground. 4) The MTC is now accelerating at a certain speed from it's point with the string being pulled by the lever until the spring is snapped, which then causes the MTC to accelerate the fastest. 5) Now that nothing is pulling the wheels friction is working against the motion of the car, which will then decelerate the car overall (Nembhard). 6) Surface friction occurs when the wheels are moving against the floor, and air resistance is another type of force that decelerates the car (Balmer). 7) The car decelerates because there is nothing pushing the car forward but there is friction moving against it, decelerating it to a stop. 8) There is also gravity pushing the car down while the earth is pushing the car up, but these are balances forces so they are canceled out since we are on a flat surface.
b. In step 3, the car is beginning to move when the lever is released. The step will benefit because there less of a mass then before which will create a greater acceleration. In step 4 when the spring is snapped, the step will also benefit because again there is a smaller mass which will help the car go further with a greater acceleration.

2) Criteria to Determine the ...

... middle of paper ...

... new design are the wheels not being glued on straight and having them turned in an angle. I will learn from my mistakes and this time carefully glue the hot glue on and watch as the wheel drys making sure that the wheel are perfectly perpendicular, creating a 90 degrees angle to the ground. Before i start I can make sure that everything is set up right without doing anything that can cause damage. If not the wheel can turn at an angle which will cause the car to travel in a curve. Another constraint is making sure the string is not too long or not two short. If the string is too short the hammer can not snap back which is not help the acceleration of the MTC, but if it is too long the MTC mass is bigger which will cause a slower acceleration. So I plan to measure out how the lever moves with the string creating a half circle and cutting the perfect amount of string.

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