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LAB MAP

PURPOSE: To create a car that is powered only by a single common mousetrap that is designed either for speed or for distance.

PROCESS: You and your partner (if you have one) are the team in charge of designing, constructing, engineering and marketing a mouse trap powered vehicle.

As the designer - you must identify your design objective (speed or distance) and make a detailed design drawing of your car. The drawing must include a clear picture of the car, labels for all working parts and a written discussion of how each component works toward your stated objective.

As the construction crew - you must build a prototype car from your design from materials that you can find at home or that you have purchased. At this stage of the project, you may have to make modifications to your design based upon "what works". After the engineer has analyzed your car, you must construct your finished product for racing and marketing.

As the engineer - you must analyze (name, draw, label and explain) each of the simple machines used in your car and calculate its mechanical advantage. You must put your car through both speed and distance trials to determine how well your objectives are being met. Finally you must take the appropriate measurements and graph the total motion of your car by plotting "Distance as a function of Time" and labeling all 3 phases of your car’s motion.

As the marketing executive - you must showcase your car’s capabilities by racing it in the final competition, and you must give a well prepared 3 to 5 minute presentation before the class. Your presentation should be in the form of a "sales pitch" in which you explain the unique features of your car and its capabilities. It should cover all phases of your project with the emphasis on why your car, your design and your engineering and production team should get the firm’s contract.

MEASUREMENTS: You must take all measurements necessary to graph the total motion of your car and to calculate accurately the mechanical advantages of each of its component simple machines.

CALCULATIONS: You must calculate the mechanical advantage of each of the simple machines used in your car. You must also include any other calculations (i.e., mean values) that you perform in your analysis of your car or its motion.

CHARTS/GRAPHS: You must create any data tables and graphs necessary either to analyze your car’s performance or to enhance its marketability.

TOOLS: You may use any materials that you think will give you a good design, however, materials that you can find around the house are encouraged for financial reasons and reasons of creativity. Remember that explaining "why" you chose a particular material must be a part of your design analysis and your final presentation.

Possible tools and materials include but are not limited to:

common mouse trap (1)

wood scraps

old toy parts wheels

wooden dowels

disk shape objects

thread string

rubber bands glue

screws nails

soda straws old records

fasteners pulleys

hammer saw

screw driver drill

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EXAMPLE MOUSETRAP CAR

The idea is to attach a string or rubber band to the U-shaped lever arm of the mousetrap. The mousetrap is "set" with the free end of the string wrapped around the axle. When the lever arm is released the string should pull the axle and propel the car forward.

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EVALUATION

This project will be your final graded activity for the first semester of Introductory Physical Science. For all intents and purposes, you may consider this your Final Exam. The project is to be completed in several stages and each one will, in turn, be graded. Deadlines or due dates for each stage of the project are listed below. Evaluation criteria for each stage will be as follows:

DESIGN SKETCH -

1) Declaration of your design objective - SPEED or DISTANCE.

2) A clear picture of your car and its parts, more than one view is recommended.

3) Accurate labels of the working parts.

4) An explanation of how each component part or simple machine works toward producing your stated objective.

PROTOTYPE -

1) Your "work in progress" car in class on the appointed day.

2) Your prototype matches or shows evolution from your design drawing.

3) Test your car over the required 3-meter course.

ENGINEERING ANALYSIS -

1) An individually labeled drawing of each simple machine employed in the design of your car. (use of a "schematic format" for the drawings is recommended)

2) Full calculations for the mechanical advantage (MA) of each machine using the "formula - replacement - answer" format.

3) Graph of "Distance as a function of Time" showing the 3 stages of your car’s motion.

FINAL RACES -

1) Your car successfully travels the required 3 meters.

2) Your car’s placing in the "speed tournament".

3) Your car’s placing in the "distance racing".

FINAL MARKETING PRESENTATION -

1) A clear presentation of your design objective and an explanation of the problems and solutions that led you to the final product.

2) An explanation of your car’s engineering including a description of the simple machines employed in the design. (use props or drawings)

3) A detailed analysis of the stages of motion for your car using labeled graphs and other appropriate visuals.

4) An evaluation of your car’s performance in the races and identify areas for improvement. Explain suggested modifications to your car, based on that experience and borrowed ideas from other cars.

5) Your vision for the marketability of your car, identify the consumers that the car will appeal to. Sell the car for mass production!

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DEADLINES

These are the due dates for each stage of the Mousetrap Car Project, which is the final project for 1st Semester of Introductory Physical Science. Any work that is handed in late will not receive full credit so plan your work schedule carefully.

DESIGN SKETCH -

January 8, 2001 (MONDAY)

 

PROTOTYPE -

January 10-11, 2001 (LAB DAYS)

 

ENGINEERING ANALYSIS -

January 12, 2001 (FRIDAY)

 

FINAL RACES -

January 17-18, 2001 (LAB DAYS)

 

PRESENTATIONS -

January 24-26, 2001 (FINAL EXAM DAYS)

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