User Manual

screws
1 adhesive foam
4 small wheels
1 rear baseplate (wide) with axle
and winding drum installed
1 short axle 1 string
1 set arm holder case (base and cover)
1 set arm cap case (base and cover)
2 connecting rods
1 winding arm
4 large wheels
1 front baseplate (narrow) with
spring and wire frame installed
We value you as a customer and your satisfaction with this product is important to us. If
you have comments or questions, or you nd any part of this kit missing or defective,
please do not hesitate to contact our distributor in your country. You will nd the address
printed on the package. You are also welcome to contact our Marketing Support Team:
Email: [e-mail], Fax [phone], Tel: [phone], Web site: WWW.4M-
IND.COM
41-03908/1
©2009 4M Industrial Development Limited. All rights reserved.
QUESTIONS & COMMENTSQUESTIONS & COMMENTS
D. OPERATION
1. You need a long, straight section of oor for your Mousetrap Racer to race along.
2. Put the Mousetrap Racer on the oor with the rear end nearest you. Gently lift the arm
with one hand and attach the string loop onto the hook on the winding drum with the other
hand. Slowly turn the wheels backwards to wind the string around the drum (make sure the
string stays in the central section of the drum).
3. Keeping hold of the rear wheels, put the Mousetrap Racer at the start of your race track,
then carefully release it. Mousetrap Racer should slowly accelerate away and keep going
until all the string fully unwinds.
E. TROUBLE SHOOTING
• The rear wheels of your Mousetrap Racer could spin on a very smooth floor. If they do not,
move to a less slippery surface, where the grip will be better.
• If the large wheel slip on the small wheels, you can put a piece of adhesive tape over their
centres to stick the large wheel to the small wheel hubs.
• If the Mousetrap Racer steers left or right, loosen the screws under the narrow baseplate,
twist the baseplate gently left or right to balance the chassis, then re-tighten the screws.
G. WHAT'S NEXT
Replace the four wheels with old CDs. Does your Racer go further and faster? Can you think
of why? Shiny CDs make the Racer look great too. Try removing the large wheels and letting
the Racer run on small wheels. What happens now? Can you think of other ways of making
the Racer go further or faster?
H. FUN FACTS
• When the spring in Mousetrap Racer is twisted, the metal in the spring is stretched in some
places and squashed in others. When the spring is released, the metal returns to shape,
making the spring uncoil.
• Springs also store elastic energy when they are bent, stretched or squashed.
• Springs store energy in mechanical clocks and watches. Winding the clock or watch tight-
ens a coiled spring. The spring gradually unwinds, moving the parts of the clock or watch.
• Other materials can store elastic energy too. For example, a twisted elastic band stores
energy in a rubber-band-powered model aeroplane.
• In ancient times, war machines called catapults used a twisted rope to fire missiles on the
end of an arm.
• The humble wooden clothes peg uses a spring like the one in Mousetrap Racer to squeeze
its jaws together.
• In a real mousetrap, the spring is held in its sprung position by a clip attached to a pad. The
spring is released when a mouse steps on the pad.
• Mousetrap-powered and elastic-band-powered car competitions are popular. Cars
compete for speed and distance travelled.
Also needed, but not included in this kit: a small cross-head screwdriver
F. HOW DOES IT WORK?
The front baseplate is a mousetrap with some of its parts removed
(the removed parts are marked in red on the diagram). It
contains a coiled spring. When you wind up the string,
the arm on the spring rotates and the spring becomes
more tightly coiled. When you release the Racer, the
spring uncoils again, pulling the string and turning the
drum and wheels. You can also think of the spring as a
device for storing energy, called elastic energy. When
you raise the arm, you use energy to coil the spring. The energy becomes stored in the spring.
When you release the Racer, this energy is slowly released, and is turned into movement
energy of the Racer.
1. Push the two connecting rods into the tunnels on the underside of the front baseplate.
Make sure they are fully inserted before xing them in place with two screws.
2. Push the free ends of the two connecting rods into the rear baseplate. Make sure they
are fully inserted before xing them in place with two screws.
3. Lay one end of the winding arm into the cover of the arm cap case base (the base has a
peg, in the centre), making sure that the loop on the arm wraps around the peg. Put the
cover over the base. Secure the base and cover with four screws.
4. Slightly lift the longer of the two arms of the spring on the front baseplate. Slide the arm
holder case base (the part with two horizontal slots at the centre) under the wire frame.
Lower the arm into the slot at the edge of the base.
5. Fit the wire frame into the base. The wire should rest into the two horizontal slots in the
base.
6. Lay the free end of the winding arm into the cover of arm holder so
that the curve of the arm wraps around the peg in the centre of it.
7. Place the cover over the base. Make sure that all the wires and
the spring arm t through the holes so that the top ts prop-
erly on. Secure the top to the base with four screws.
8. Apply the adhesive foam to the end of the front
baseplate as shown in the diagram. Now test the spring
arm. Hold down the rear baseplate and lift the spring
arm. This action should wind up the spring.
Carefully allow the arm to spring back again. The
foam should absorb the impact of the arm as it
springs back.
9. Push a small wheel onto each end of the long axle (the one that goes
through he winding drum). Press the axle into the clips on the underside of
the rear baseplate. The hook on the drum should be on the right as you look
from the rear of the plate.
10. Push a small wheel onto one end of the short axle. Push the axle through
the tunnels on the underside of front baseplate and push on the other
wheel.
11. Snap a large wheel onto each of the small wheels.
12. Take a piece of string. Tie one end through the hole in the cap case of the winding arm and secure it with a few knots. Tie
a loop of about 1 cm diameter at other end. Secure the loop with a few knots. These knots must be very secure so as to
prevent the knots from loosening when performing the winding.
Congratulations! Your Mousetrap Racer is complete.
C. ASSEMBLY
3
8
6
7
4
1
9
2
5
12
10
11
11
A. SAFETY MESSAGES
1. This is not a toy. This is intended to be an educational kit which demonstrates a science
principle in a fun way. All assembly and operation of the project should be done and super-
vised by an adult or child aged 14 or over. Read all instructions before you start.
2. This kit contains a powerful spring that could potentially hurt ngers. Never pull back and
release the spring or winding arm except as detailed in these instructions. Always exercise
care when building and operating the Racer, especially when winding the string and releas-
ing the arm. Never allow the arm to spring towards your body. We recommend that you wear
goggles to protect your eyes when operating the Racer.
3. This kit and its nished product contain small parts which may cause choking if misused.
Keep away from children under 3 years old.
B. CONTENTS
MOUSETRAP
RACER
Science in Action
This is not a toy. This is intended to
be an educational kit which demon-
strates a science principle in a fun
way. All assembly and operation of
the project should be done and
supervised by an adult. Read all
instructions before you start.
mouseINSFLop_A.ai 13-11-2009 C M Y K
mouseINSFLop_B.ai 13-11-2009 C M Y K