MTC EDP Report

Last updated over 2 years ago

4 questions

Intro to MTC

INTRODUCTION:

The mousetrap car shows how energy can be transferred from one location to another. In this activity, you will design and build a mousetrap-powered car with specific guidelines according to ONE OF TWO competitions: Speed or Distance. You will also submit a Lab Write up which will be a typed paper along with an Engineering Design Process report (EDP).
This project is designed to give you the opportunity to tie together major Science topics: Motion, Forces, Newton’s Laws, Energy Transformation, and Simple Machines. Be sure to consider these principles when designing and building your mousetrap-powered car. In your lab write-up, you will be asked to explain how these factors influenced your design. You will also have to complete a data worksheet when you are testing your car.

Before you begin, read the guidelines and deadlines carefully and think about what type of car you would like to build. The first attempt at designing the car will probably not be the one you end up building. Allow yourself plenty of time to design and begin building the car. The deadlines will be set, we are now in a time where urgency is a push for success.

I encourage each of you to strive for excellence! Do not be discouraged if you need to make several modifications to your original design. The continuous process of refining a design is what science and engineering are all about! Following the EDP is key to your success! The more detail you add to your EDP report, the better your project!

Your responses to the following topics should be typed in complete sentences. You may refer to your notes. Your task is to make your explanations as clear and to the point as possible so there will be no doubt in my mind that you know what you are talking about. This is your opportunity to SHOW ME what you have learned!

Science Concepts Overview

TOPIC #1: Newton’s Laws: State each of Newton’s Laws and explain how each law applies to the motion of your race car. Consider the forces involved during the beginning, middle, and end of your race car’s run.

TOPIC #2: Energy: How were potential and kinetic energy involved? Describe where each type of energy was used or stored. Draw a chart of where the Highest Potential Energy is found and when the Highest Kinetic Energy is used.

TOPIC #3: Simple Machines: Describe the two main simple machines that make up your race car. Did you use the machines to strengthen force or distance? How did these concepts influence the design you chose?

TOPIC #4: Summary: Summarize what you learned through the process of building and racing your race car. Describe your data from your data worksheet. Be sure to discuss any problems you encountered and how you solved them. What were your car’s strengths and weaknesses? What changes would you make to your car in the future and why?