Physics students at Brush High School recently had the opportunity to apply their classroom learning by constructing mouse trap powered cars. Under the guidance of science teachers Gary Mikes and Dan Trentanelli, the students began constructing their cars two weeks before Winter Break using ordinary household materials. Each car consisted of a wooden or plastic frame with a mouse trap attached to the front portion, an unopened soda can for weight, and compact discs or vinyl records connected to wooden rods to function as wheels and axles. To propel each car, a long string was wrapped around the rear axle and fixed to a hook at the end of a short metal rod, which in turn was connected to the spring of the mouse trap. Students then released the spring of the mouse trap, causing the metal rod to pull the string attached to rear axle and propel the car forward.
On Friday, January 9th, students tested their cars in the hallway outside their classrooms. Mr. Mikes and Mr. Trentanelli used a measuring tape and a timer to record the time and distance traveled by each car. The car constructed by Jordan O’Dea and Jasmine Thomas broke a long standing all-time record by traveling an impressive 93-feet down the hallway. Congratulations to all participating students for their excellent work!
