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How to Make a Mousetrap Car Go Faster & Longer

You can make a mousetrap car in many ways, all powered by the spring action of a mousetrap. The wheels can be made out of compact discs, toy parts or just about anything else that is round and can roll. In fact, part of the fun of making a mousetrap car is coming up with an outrageous design with unusual materials. However, some of these cars could use a little tweaking in the performance department.

Instructions

- 1
  Use bigger drive wheels to make your mousetrap car go farther. However, what you gain in distance you lose in speed. In higher-level mousetrap car races, competitors often custom-design the wheels and have them laser cut to order. A cheaper option is make your wheels out of old compact discs.
- 2
  Make your chassis as light as possible for greater speed. The 2010 winners of the Science Olympiad Mousetrap Vehicle competition made their chassis out of balsa.
- 3
  Adjust the length of the lever arm. The lever arm attaches to the mousetrap mechanism and transfers its power to the drive train. A shorter arm releases energy more quickly, producing a faster car. A longer arm releases the energy more slowly for longer-distance runs.
- 4
  Eliminate friction to produce a car that travels faster. This means making your wheels as smooth as possible.
- 5
  Test your car a lot. That's the advice of Tom Schulz, a 2010 winner of the Science Olympiad Mousetrap Vehicle competition. Tweak your design and test again.

Wooden Toys