Recently Polo Park Middle School eighth-grade science students designed and built their own mousetrap cars. The project gave students first-hand experience with Newton’s Laws of Motion. The mousetrap car’s setup and movement illustrate each of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. The students were responsible for researching, designing and building their own cars. A mousetrap car uses the snapping action of the mousetrap to propel the car forward. The goal was to build a car that would travel as far as possible. Students constructed mousetrap cars in a variety of designs. Mr. Moore’s and Mr. Craig’s students then went outside to see which designs worked best. The experience was both educational and fun. Pictured here is one of the mousetrap cars.
