Performance Task:
Using the design process, create a Mouse Trap car with a standard
(unaltered) mouse trap that will travel the fastest and/or farthest in
the hallway outside of our classroom.
Design Process:
Click on the image below to learn more about the engineering design
process.
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Rules:
1. Students must design and build their own vehicle which must be
solely powered by the mousetrap (supplied by the teacher) and activated
by tripping the original mousetrap trip mechanism. Kits will not be
allowed.
2. NO other energy source may be added. (e.g.CO2 Cartridge, batteries,
elastic strings rubber bands, etc.)
3. The standard mousetrap must be mounted to the chassis AND must NOT
be painted or decorated.
4. Hardware may be added to the mousetrap, but the original hardware
and mounting block may ONLY be altered to attach it to the vehicle. The
mousetrap may not be disassembled and then reassembled.
5. The springs on the mousetrap may NOT be cut, bent, over-wound,
heat-treated or altered in any other manner.
6. Vehicles must be self-starting.
Vehicles may not receive a push in the forward direction or side
direction.
7. The vehicle must steer itself.
8. For the distance competition, measurements of distance will not
measure the total distance traveled only the displacement distance from
the starting line.
9. Other materials are of the students' choice. All materials are
to be provided by the student teams. Total cost of the materials may
not exceed $5.00.
10. For the speed competition, racers can not receive a
running start and must start as close as possible to the start line.
Time of run will begin when any part of the vehicle passes over the
start line and will end when that same point passes over the 5-meter
mark.
Teams
Cars will be built in teams of three. Each team will have a Designer,
an Engineer and a Marketing Agent. Each team member
will have primary responsibility for certain aspects of the project,
however, every member is expected to participate in some way on every
aspect of the project. There will be peer evaluations.
The Designer is primarily responsible for the design diagram and the construction log for the team.
The Engineer is primarily responsible for testing the car and providing a table of data for the team.
The Marketing Agent is primarily responsible for a research report and a presentation of the group's discoveries and experience.
Final Report: Each team
member will provide a one page paper explaining (in their
opinion) what variables were most significant in the performance of
their car and providing suggestions on improvement.
Resources
The links below will provide your team with
information about designing and building mousetrap cars.
Doc Fizzix -
Mousetrap Powered Vehicles and More
Instructables
- Mouse Trap Car
eHow -
How to Build a Mousetrap Car
Instructions
to Build a Mousetrap Car
Basic
Design and Instructions for Building a Mousetrap Car
Scoring for Mouse Trap Car Project:
Design Phase
Research Report: A one page synopsis of research done prior to assembly of the car. The report must list a minimum of three sources and give a detailed description of information that was found. (Click here to see the scoring rubric.)
Design Diagram: A scale drawing of your prospective car including a top view, side view, and front view. Dimensions need to be labeled. A material list must be provided. Also, any special design aspects should be emphasized. (Click here to see the scoring rubric.) (Click here to go to a webpage that explains how to create a good engineering drawing.)
Test Plan: A one page synopsis of the the testing details including (but not restricted to) how the data on time, average velocity, distance, instantaneous velocity, and acceleration will be measured or calculated and how the data will be organized (tables). There will be three test runs.(Click here to see the scoring rubric.)
Implementation
Phase
Construction Log: A journal of the entire process from research to completion of the test drives. Dates with notes of method and progress need to be included. Be sure to indicate work time for each person. (40 points for the Designer) (Click here to see the scoring rubric.)
Table of Data : A poster with an accurate display of the test drive results including distance, average velocity, instantaneous velocity and acceleration for four given intervals. This poster will be displayed in the classroom. (40 points for the Engineer) (Click here to see the scoring rubric.)
Presentation: This can either be a written report or a powerpoint presentation. All of the above information is to be presented in a professional format that is easily viewed and understood by the class. Needs to include the test drive data, a description of the research/assembly process, at least three pictures or diagrams to enhance presentation, a description of changes or adjustments made during construction, and ideas for improvement. (40 points for Marketing Agent) (Click here to see the scoring rubric.)
Peer Evaluations: This is where each member of the team evaluates the contributions of their peers and themselves. Though the Primary Person responsible receives the grade for a given part of the project, he or she evaluates their peers and themselves on a 5 point scale according to their contributions. Every member needs to contribute, in some way, to every part of the project. (15 points for each team member) (Click here to see the self and peer evaluation form.)
Final Report: Each team member will provide a one
page paper explaining (in their opinion) what variables were most
significant in the performance of their car and providing suggestions
on improvement. (25 point each team member) (Click here to see
the scoring rubric.)
Test Results Scoring
1.
Distance
the
mousetrap car moved in meters:
Less than 1 meter = 5 points
1 to 2 meters
= 10
points
2 to 3 meters
= 15
points
3 to 4 meters
= 20
points
4 to 5 meters
= 25
points
over 5 meters = 30 points
Longest distance in class - 5 bonus points
Longest distance in all three classes - 10 points
2.
Speed over five
meters
Third fastest in the class - 5 points
Second fastest in the class - 10 points
Fastest in the class - 15 points
Fastest in all three classes - 20 points
3. Most
creative car
as voted by each class - 10 points
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