pic: mousetrap car

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

OK, so all this gets me thinkingf: What makes a winning mousetrap car?

Well, if F=ma, and F is fixed, to maximize a we need a small m. Right? So I conclude the way to get the most is to have the smallest mass possible, all else being equal.

Yes, one must ensure the drive system is suitable - the string pulling the axle, the friction between the wheels and the ground, all that needs to be good, but there's a wide range of 'just fine' there. Also, you need to bring friction down to a negligible factor - those bearings are sick, but quite right.

If the CDs used as wheels could be swiss-cheesed, you should be able to get a lot better. Can you cheese the trap, too? (no pun intended).

Don

Don, while all of this is true...some contests dont just feature how fast the car is, but how far it goes too...which means you want o maximize distance (x or s).