Things You'll Need:
- Mousetrap
- Two pens
- Four eye hooks
- Four CDs
- String
- Clay or axle clogs
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Step 1
Hollow out the pens by removing the ink holders and cutting out the back of the pen so you have two hollow cylinders.
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Step 2
Slip an eye hook around the cylinders and gently spin them to test for friction. You want there to be enough room for the cylinders to freely spin, but they shouldn't be so loose that they rattle, which wastes energy. Bend the eye hook until you have it as tight or loose as you desire.
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Step 3
Use an eye hook to poke a small hole in the middle of one of the cylinders. This cylinder will become the axle for the end where you place the motor.
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Step 4
Screw two eye hooks into the back edge of the mousetrap, one near each corner of the trap. Screw the other eye hooks on the front edge of the mousetrap in a similar fashion.
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Step 5
Feed your string through the hole that you poked into your axle, and secure it with a large knot or small item so it won't pull back through.
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Step 6
Feed your other axle through the eye hooks and adjust the hooks so that the axle sits level and can freely spin.
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Step 7
Place a CD on each end of the wheel you've inserted into the eye hooks. Use clay to clog the holes so that the CDs are attached to the axle. Let the project sit long enough for the clay to harden.
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Step 8
Feed the second axle through the second set of eye hooks and pull the string through so that the string hangs between the eye hooks. Secure the wheels as you did in the previous step.
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Step 9
Tie the loose end of your string on the bar portion of the mousetrap.
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Step 10
Pull back the bar portion of the mousetrap like you're setting the trap. Spin the rear axle so that the loose string winds up around the axle. Set your project on the ground and release the trap. The mousetrap will slowly pull the string, which will cause the rear axle to turn and propel the car.
