Contents of this post
Warm up
What two things need to happen to add energy to a system by working?
Answer
Work requires a force and pushing through a distance.
Classwork
Fine tuning your car
- Fine-tuning your car so it will run at least two meters.
- Tips to make your car run better:
- Students who used fishing wire seemed to get good results. You may want to swap out your string for fishing wire if your car doesn’t run well.
- Duct tape seems to work best for attaching your string to your axel.
Record the force your mousetrap applies to your wheels.
- Measure the force at three angles: 45°, 90°, and 135°. Record these values in the table in your packet, then calculate the average.
- Measure the length of your lever arm, then calculate the the distance it travels (half the circumference) by multiply by 3.14 ( π )
- Calculate the work done: average force times the distance.
- Measure the mass of your car on the scale.
Turn in your packet today.