Day 9

Mike is missing in action today, so I worked on lightening the wheels. Maybe we should use LPs...

Day 8

Today, we are working on making bigger wheels for our car. Last class, we re-designed the string draw system, which allows our car to coast farther after the mousetrap has finished pulling the string. We tested it and hit 6 meters. With bigger wheels, the car should go farther because it will have more meters of development.

Day 7

Today, with our new cardboard WE REACHED 5 METERS. THAT'S RIGHT, 5 WHOLE METERS. However, the car decelerates when the string is almost off the spool, so a new spool design is in the works, with and advanced string disconnect system. Even bigger wheels are also a possibility.

Day 6

Today we're experimenting with wheels made of cardboard, which have a much greater diameter than the Lego wheels. However, the longer arm can't pull hard enough to roll the big wheels, so we are switching back to our previous length arm. We have also shortened our frame and removed all mechanical gearing.

Day six

Yesterday we doubled the length of our lever arm to improve power transfer. Today we are working on getting better traction, but we need bigger wheels. Bigger wheels will also allow the car to travel farther for each revolution of the spool. We are also experimenting with multiple gearing options.

Day 5

Yesterday we fixed our draw string problem, its still not great, but better than it was. Today we are going to work on the wheels getting traction. right now it just peels out and doesnt go anywhere. So were going to add weight to the front and try to get it working really well.

Day 4

We got our days all figured out now, yesterday we tested our mousetrap car after our post, and found that the ribbon we were using didnt have enough friction on the axle so that sometimes it would unwind without actually turning the axle. When it would work, the wheels would spin because most of the weight is over the back. we added a hammer for extra weight and it moved better. So today we are trying to fix the weight problem and the draw string problem. we have a new string picked out and we will probably have to add some weight to the front so that the wheels hook up better

Day 3

today is actually day 3 since yesterday was day 2. Today, Mike brought in some legos, Ted and Mike started working on building the car they designed yesterday. check out the picture of what we made. it is a little different than what we planned, it only has one wheel, and we removed the gearing system to reduce friction.

Day 3
We forgot to post yesterday for day 3, which is actually day 2 because we werent supposed to post the day before. Anyway, yesterday we decided that we would use legos to build the frame of the car just because they are easier to work with and have a lot of options as far as gearing possibilities and wheel sizes. We made a rough sketch of the car, and Ted hung up some posters. Mike went home and got out some legos for the car.

Day 2

Today Mr. Johnson was absent, so your resident Mousetrap McGyver and Mouse Masticating Marvel spent their time watching a movie about the development of the personal computer. we also solved the rubiks cube.

Day 1

mousetrap car team name: TEAM MEXICAN MICE VICTOR DIVISION
mousetrap car #1 name: Speedy Gonzales

Team members:
Mike: The Mousetrap McGyver
- Innovative
- Good communicator
- Wicked smaht
Ted: The Mouse Masticating Marvel
- Stud muffin
- Problem solver
- Professional pizza orderer
- Tinkerer in the first degree


Today we have explored the power of mousetraps and possible gearing combinations, we have been thinking about wheel sizes, ways to make it lighter, ways to get a mousetrap stuck to Teds face, solved the rubiks cube, and the best type of local pizza for working on hard projects.