The purpose of this project was to have students build a race car from household
materials. The goal is to build a car no bigger than a shoebox (1 ft on a
side) that has good velocity without a lot
of weight. A contest will be held in class where the cars will be rolled
down a ramp. The best race car design in
the class will be determined based on weight, time, and straightness of the run.
Cars will be ranked 1 to 12 in all three categories with points given as
follows: 60-55-50-45-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5. The fastest, lightest, and
straightest cars will receive the highest points.
In 2008 this lab was modified where students created a race car powered by a mousetrap. The cars were ranked on distance traveled.