Introduction: Slingshot Cars

The catapult car is an fantabulous introductory labor to illustrate how P.E. is regenerate into kinetic muscularity, and the grandness of low rubbing. Just be surely to watch your feet arsenic cars go racing across the floor!

You can find the lesson plan, 1-page see sheet, and more project ideas at Staunch-Inventions.com

Contrive Goal: Students build cars that are rapidly propelled crosswise the floor at least 10 feet.

Design Variables

  • Axle width
  • Number of wheels

Key Concepts

  • Rack Alignment means all the wheels totally point in one direction
  • Energy transformation is when one kind of energy turns into a different form

Prep: Bend paperclips into meat hooks (1 per student)

Safety: Launch cars only horizontally crosswise the floor. Designate a launching area and direction when students begin to test.

Step 1: Materials

2 Straws
1/8" dowels
1 elastic
Masking Tape

Hot glue with safety nozzle
Craft cube (Bulk backpack)

Plastic cups (for stackable crash targets)

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Step 2: The Basic Frame

The frame hindquarters be sporting all but any work and size. I use up a rectangular frame for my exemplar because it has astir the synoptic proportions as a real elevator car and information technology's easy to build.

Step 3: Adding Wheels

Create the wheels by putt a dowel into a chaff, then put the fictile wheels onto the ends of the dowel. Wrap a small piece of tape around the ends of the dowel to prevent the wheels from falloff.

Step 4: Attach the Rubber Striation

Apply 2-3 layers of masking tape to attach a arctic band onto same end of the frame. This step completes the essential car physical body!

Step 5: Elective: Customise the Motorcar

It's fun to take a leak the car personalized. Use craft cubes and sticks to sacrifice it a cool profile.

Step 6: Frame the Launcher

Tape a pencil to the floor. Puddle true to layer and crosshatch the tape to keep the pencil shielded to the floor.

Mistreat 7: Launching the Cars

  1. Place the car on a smooth, flat surface with the rubber banding pointing in the direction that the car will be touring.
  2. Hook the rubber band onto the pencil eraser.
  3. Pinch the back center of the cable car draw up, pull back, and release!

Step 8: Safety, Tips and Troubleshooting

  • Don't allow your students to fling the cars instantly at each unusual.
  • Several students will want to crash their cars into things. Contribute plastic cups and stack them into pyramids to make close to dramatic and attractive targets.
  • If the car is spinning out, reach sure the wheels stool spin freely, and that the wheels are allied.

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