Using the Seven Resources of Technology to build a mousetrap car:
People:
Needed to build the car and use the car.
Information:
Mousetraps store energy in a spring
Wheels turn when attached to an axel that turns
Balsa wood is a lightweight wood
String can be used to turn an axel
Compact Disks are round
Axels must be allowed to turn freely
Materials:
One mousetrap
One piece of ¼ inch basswood 10 inches by 1 1/2 inches
Two 1/4 X 5/8 inch by 10 in pieces of basswood
A straw
two 3/16 X 3 inch piece of dowel
Four Compact disk hub centers
Four compact disks
12 inches of string
Paint
Tools and machines:
Drill press
Glue gun
Hacksaw
Scissors
Coping saw
Energy:
Electricity to run the drill press
Human muscle power
Capital:
Time:
One mousetrap
One piece of ¼ inch basswood 10 inches by 3 inches
A straw
two 3/16 X 3 inch piece of dowel
four compact disks
12 inches of string
4 hub centers
approximately 1 gluestick
Paint
$ .97
$1.12
$ .01
$ .20
$ .00
$ .03
$ .20
$ .12
$ .20
Total
$2.85
5, 40-minute class periods.
Mousetrap Cars
Project Sheet
Name____________________
Each of you will be responsible to put together a mousetrap car “kit”. You will be
responsible for putting it together using the following directions.
1. Measure and drill holes in your sidepieces for the axels.
2. Glue your two sidepieces to the underside of the body. Make sure the holes line up.
3. Design your wheel covers and put them on the compact disks.
4. Place the hubs into the compact disks.
5. Cut and glue straws to the car body. Cut out the rear straw between the sidepieces.
6. Put together the wheels with the axels and the body.
7. Glue the mousetrap to the car body.
8. Tie the string to the mousetrap arm.
9. Paint your car and let it dry.
Optional:
-glue and tie an arm extension to the mousetrap arm.
-improve traction on compact discs with rubber, sand, etc.
_________________________________________________________
Mousetrap Car Grade Sheet
possible
points
actual
points
Car Assembly
50
_______
Hole placement for drilling
10
_______
Painting
10
_______
Overall appearance
30
_______
Total Points
100
________