Index card car
The challenge: design and construct a card car that will travel the farthest distance after going down an inclined plane.
the criteria for the card car states that it must be made of these materials:
• 3 X 5 index cards (maximum of 3)
• 2.5” long X 1/8” diameter steel axles (maximum of 2)
• Four plastic wheels, outside diameter of less than 40 mm
• Transparent tape (maximum of 6 inches total)
Dimensions and Requirements:
The car must carry a mass of clay (mimum of 5 g; maximum of 20 g)
The overall width of the car must not exceed 3”.
The overall width of the car must be more than 1.5”
The length of the car must be between 3” and 10”.
The distance between axles must be more than 2” but less than 5”.
The concepts that were explored and applied in the instance of this index card are gravity and rolling friction. Newton's first law- which states that an object in motion or an object at rest stays that way unless acted on by an unbalanced outside force- played a big role in the card car. Gravity effects the car by changing the way it rolls, and pulling it down the ramp. Rolling friction plays the role as the unbalanced, outside force of inertia acting on the car to make it stop. The friction of the wheels of the car making contact with the ground caused the car to come to a stop. If those elements didn't exist, the car wouldn't have stopped. If there was no outside forces of gravity, the floor, the wheels, and the friction of the two, or any other unbalanced, outside force, the car would still be moving right now.
I learned the massive effects that inertia has on so many every day objects without any of us even realizing it. I developed an understanding for rolling friction and what causes friction. I learned that the mass effects acceleration, velocity, and speed. I learned that stability played an important role in this project and that to make your car stable, it should be as symmetrical as possible (balanced and identical on each side). I learned about time management and using class time wisely because we didn't get long to work on the planning and construction of the card and every minute counted. Also, glueing the wheels was a hassle because the wood glue took long to dry. I learned to have patience and to wait until glue dries before continuing working on a project. All in all, I learned a lot more than meets the eye in this project and had a fun time applying the concepts to making a car.
the criteria for the card car states that it must be made of these materials:
• 3 X 5 index cards (maximum of 3)
• 2.5” long X 1/8” diameter steel axles (maximum of 2)
• Four plastic wheels, outside diameter of less than 40 mm
• Transparent tape (maximum of 6 inches total)
Dimensions and Requirements:
The car must carry a mass of clay (mimum of 5 g; maximum of 20 g)
The overall width of the car must not exceed 3”.
The overall width of the car must be more than 1.5”
The length of the car must be between 3” and 10”.
The distance between axles must be more than 2” but less than 5”.
The concepts that were explored and applied in the instance of this index card are gravity and rolling friction. Newton's first law- which states that an object in motion or an object at rest stays that way unless acted on by an unbalanced outside force- played a big role in the card car. Gravity effects the car by changing the way it rolls, and pulling it down the ramp. Rolling friction plays the role as the unbalanced, outside force of inertia acting on the car to make it stop. The friction of the wheels of the car making contact with the ground caused the car to come to a stop. If those elements didn't exist, the car wouldn't have stopped. If there was no outside forces of gravity, the floor, the wheels, and the friction of the two, or any other unbalanced, outside force, the car would still be moving right now.
I learned the massive effects that inertia has on so many every day objects without any of us even realizing it. I developed an understanding for rolling friction and what causes friction. I learned that the mass effects acceleration, velocity, and speed. I learned that stability played an important role in this project and that to make your car stable, it should be as symmetrical as possible (balanced and identical on each side). I learned about time management and using class time wisely because we didn't get long to work on the planning and construction of the card and every minute counted. Also, glueing the wheels was a hassle because the wood glue took long to dry. I learned to have patience and to wait until glue dries before continuing working on a project. All in all, I learned a lot more than meets the eye in this project and had a fun time applying the concepts to making a car.