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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Smith from South Hadley, MA is requesting instructional technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Mousetrap Car!

Help me give my students drills and wood to make a mousetrap car!

  • $357 goal

This project expired on July 5, 2024.

This project expired on July 5, 2024.

My Project

Goal: To design, build, and refine a car that is powered through the use of torque from the lever arm rotating from a mouse trap, and to have said car reach a distance of 20+ meters.

Background Information:

In this class, you have observed all different types of simple machines, how to calculate mechanical advantage, how to use kinematics to describe an object’s motion, and how to rotate an object using torque. All of these ideas are brought together when creating a mousetrap car. Concepts from energy and energy conservation are also used in this, but you will not need to worry about these concepts when building or explaining your design.

A mousetrap car is a model car made from simple materials that is powered by the snapping mechanism from a mousetrap. A mousetrap car can be made from various materials, including cardboard, balsa wood, CD’s, axles, etc. Power to drive the wheels is provided by a mousetrap attached to a lever arm that is wound by a string, rope, etc. to an axle.

Competitions happen all across the country with these cars to see whether you have a car that travels the furthest distance or the fastest velocity. In our project, we will be focusing on the distance factor. Your goal is to get a mousetrap car that will travel up to 20 meters and further. The mousetrap must also sit at rest until “activated” by some motion.

Why are my kids great? Their desire to take on any engineering challenge and to always refine the work to exceed expectations.

Ms. Smith South Hadley High School Grades 9-12 South Hadley, MA View local requests

More than a third of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

40 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Red Toolbox Stanley Jr. Pretend Play Power Drill • Kaplan Early Learning Company $24.26 6 $145.56
Midwest Products Genuine Balsa Wood Strips- 10 Pieces, 1/4" x 1/4" x 36" • Blick Art Materials $14.20 6 $85.20
Victor M156 Metal Pedal Sustainably Sourced FSC Wood Snap Mouse Trap - 64 Traps • Amazon Business $30.99 1 $30.99
HMROPE 100pcs Cable Zip Ties Heavy Duty 8 Inch, Premium Plastic Wire Ties with 50 Pounds Tensile Strength, Self-Locking Black Nylon Tie Wraps for Indoor and Outdoor • Amazon Business $3.59 2 $7.18

Materials cost

$268.93

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$4.03

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$302.96

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$53.46

Total project goal

$356.42

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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