How can I make the Ultimate Mousetrap Car?
The trick is to getting the energy to release slowly from the spring. The slow ones go furthest.. gears can also increase the distance that your car can travel, as the gear can transfer more rotations from the energy-giving spring-drive. One winner that I heard of only had 2 wheels, the trap was the axle as well as the propulsion. Good luck! Also got this off the web for you from “AskAaron”: “Q: Why are the wheel diameter and the gear ratio important to good mousetrap car construction? A: Sounds like somebody wants me to do their homework for them. An automobile gets better gas mileage when it travels slower, right? That’s because friction and drag increase quickly with greater speed. It’s much more efficient to move along at a slow and steady pace than to sprint forward and coast to a stop. A well designed mousetrap car can travel dozens of yards if it keeps speed under control. Hard, large diameter wheels reduce rolling resistance, and when combined with a low gear ratio will reduce
