Name:
Partner’s name:
Period:
Mousetrap Challenge
Design Brief: Creative Engineering is sponsoring a competition for the fastest, farthest, and most
unique vehicle powered by a simple mousetrap. Your mission is to figure out the best and most
efficient way to design such a contraption. Only the mousetrap provided can be used to power your
cars. It is time to start thinking like an engineer!
*Engineering Journal: Team (11 points + 2 points per daily entry)
Your engineering journal is a record of everything that you and your partner do on this project. You
and your partner will write in one journal. The very first page should be a table contents. Every day
at the end of class, time will be provided to record what was done each particular day. The top of
each page must include the date and page number. This journal will include: research, the
morphological charts, blueprint with trade-offs, chosen solution write-up, construction updates,
records of the races, design changes and a materials list.
Specifications:
 Each engineering team will have 2 students
 The vehicle must have 4 wheels
 Each team will receive: one mousetrap, one 3 x 12” piece of balsa wood, and four ¼ x 4 x 4”
pieces of wood
 The car must travel as far as possible while going as fast as possible.
 The car must stay on the race track. If the vehicle hits a wall or runs off the track, the
distance recorded will be where the vehicle was last on the race track.
 Each engineering team must submit an engineering journal that shows all work for the
project.
Research: Individual (5 points)
Using the internet, each engineer must print out 5 pictures of different mousetrap cars. Search for
mousetrap cars that inspire you. Include the three classes of levers with diagrams. These pictures
must be added to your team’s engineering journal.
Brainstorm: Individual (10 points)
Each engineer will create a morphological chart that includes all the variables that the vehicle can
have. The left side of the morphological chart should be labeled with the categories. Morphological
charts from both engineers must be added to your team’s engineering journal.
Choose a solution: Team (15 points)
Based on the morphological charts, your team must choose the best options for your vehicle. Sketch
a final blueprint of what the vehicle will look like. This blueprint must include: dimensions,
annotations (notes) of details, trade-offs (positives and negatives), and how the vehicle will be
designed. The blueprint should be so detailed that another team could implement the design just by
looking at the blueprint. As a team, also write a paragraph on why your engineering team will create
this particular vehicle.
*Create: Team (20 points)
Based on your team’s blueprint, construct the final solution. Use the materials wisely and construct a
vehicle with the highest quality. Construct a vehicle that you are proud of! Keep in mind that one of
the competitions includes the most unique car.
Test the Solution: Team (15 points)
Each engineering team will have 3 trials to test the mousetrap vehicle. Copy the chart below into
your team’s engineering journal to help record data from each trial. Also describe what actually
happened in each of your team’s trials. Make notes of anything in particular that you see from other
teams’ trials.
Distance in
Distance in
Time in
Speed in
Kinetic
inches
meters
seconds
meters/sec.
energy
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
**Important information**:
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
1
1 meter = 39.4 inches
Speed = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠
𝐾𝐸 = 2 × 𝑚 × 𝑣 2
Redesign: Individual (15 points)
Based on the trials, sketch and write about 3 possible ideas for redesign. Even if your team’s car
travelled the farthest, there are always improvements that can be made.
Mousetrap Car
Engineering Journal
*Assessment of Journal and Car:
Requirement
Possible points
Table of contents
Daily entries
Research (1/person)
Morphological charts (1/person)
Final blueprint w/ paragraph (chosen
solution)
Testing observations w/ chart
1 pt
2 pts/day
1 pt each
1 pt each
2 pts
3 pts
Redesign sketches and write ups
List of materials used
2 pts each
1 pt
Ability of vehicle to travel at least 10 ft.
Vehicle is neat and shows quality work
Vehicle meets all specifications
Distance winner
Speed winner
Most unique car
10 pts
5 pts
5 pts
5 pts (extra)
5 pts (extra)
5 pts (extra)
TOTAL
31 + 2x
Earned points