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How to Make a Mini Solar Racer

Solar-powered cars benefit from the power of the sun transforming into electrical energy. However, smaller vehicles can be a little more challenging to make than full-sized cars. The practice is more or less the same as for a larger cars -- just smaller. With the right materials, you can make your own solar mini-racer then challenge your friends, or experiment with the science behind solar cells. With larger materials, you can also make a full-sized racer.

Things You'll Need

Miniature motor
Corrugated cardboard
Marker
Utility knife
Glue and scotch tape
Toothpick or small piece of wire
Small elastic band or gears
Toy wheel or quarter
Wires
Miniature solar cell

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the dimensions of the motor onto a piece of cardboard. Draw a base for a car which is at least a 1/2 inch larger than the motor including the armature. Draw the sides of the vehicle attached to the sides of this base, so that you could fold the base of the car into a U-shape larger than the motor.
- 2
  Draw a second base of the vehicle, about the same length and width as the base of the car.
- 3
  Cut out the pieces of the car. Score the sides of the main vehicle base by pressing the edge of the utility knife, but not cutting the piece completely. This helps you fold the car into shape.
- 4
  Glue the strip of cardboard to the bottom of the car, making sure that two of the corrugated channels, one at the front, one at the back, are open to serve as axles. Leave the glue to dry for a few minutes.
- 5
  Mount the motor on the base of the car, and mark a straight line from the top and bottom of the armature on the cardboard. If you are using a gear, attach the gear to the motor before mounting.
- 6
  Cut out the marks you made, through both layers of the cardboard, so that you can see through the corrugated parts of the lower level.
- 7
  Hold a gear or elastic band inside that groove, so that you could push an axle through the middle of it.
- 8
  Push the two axles, the toothpicks or the pieces of wire, through a corrugated channel at the front and at the back of the vehicle, and through the elastic or gear you're using. Make sure the teeth of the gears mesh, if you are using gears. If using elastic, slip the elastic over the armature.
- 9
  Wire the solar panel into the motor. Connect the negative terminal on the motor to the positive terminal on the solar panel, and repeat with the opposite terminals. The motor should start moving when you connect it and put the panel in the sun. If the motor spins the wrong direction, switch the wires.
- 10
  Fold up the sides of the vehicle and tape them into place. Mount the solar panel on the top of the side panels.

Toy Vehicles