HOW DO YOU MAKE A RUBBER BAND POWERED CAR ?
I need to make a rubber band POWEREDCAR and these are the rules that my teacher gave us:
You must use at least 3 wheels or more.
The CAR must be POWERED by no more than 2 rubber bands.
The CAR must go at least 5 meters.
You must make the wheels.
The CAR cannot leave the ground.
WINDMILL FARMS ANSWERS:
Make a car with 2 axles and wrap the band around the rear axle. Wind the rear wheels and the band should release the tension to the real wheels and propel the car forward.
Paul asks...
HOW TO MAKE A RUBBERBAND POWERED CAR?
I need to make a rubber band POWEREDCAR using only toy CAR wheels, wood and pencils? This is for my Gr8 assignment and i need to be able to ensemble it and then reassemble the rubber band CAR:]
WINDMILL FARMS ANSWERS:
MATERIALS (PER CAR)
* 5 x 6-inch piece of corrugated cardboard (cut so the holes from the corrugation are visible along the long edge)
* Ruler
* Scissors
* 1 wooden skewer (Use the thinnest available skewers. These probably will be 1/8 of an inch thick.)
* Tape (masking or duct)
* 2 faucet washers (Size: 1/4-inch Large)
* 2 CDs
* Poster putty (1/4 package)
* 1 rubber band
* Pencils, pens, or markers
BUILD
1. Notch the body.
Cut a notch in the center of the five-inch side of the cardboard. Make the notch 2 inches wide and 1 1/2-inches deep. Throw away the piece you've cut out.
2. Make the axle.
Slide the skewer through the cardboard, close to the outer edge. Make sure the axle sticks out the same amount from each side of the body. When we made ours, the skewer didn't always rotate freely. If this happens to you, twist it until the opening stretches.
3. Modify the axle.
Find where the skewer goes across the notch. In the middle of this section, wrap a small piece of tape to make a "catch" for the rubber band. Try twisting the tape that is sticking up to make sure the catch is thick enough to hold the rubber band.
4. Assemble the wheels.
Hold a washer in the center hole of a CD. Slide the washer and CD onto the axle, leaving lots of room between the CD and cardboard. Put poster putty on each side of the washer to join the CD, washer, and axle tightly together-REALLY TIGHTLY. The wheel and axle should now rotate together. Make the second wheel the same way.
5. Attach the rubber band.
Tape one end of a rubber band to the cardboard at the end opposite the axle.
6. Power your car.
Wrap the unattached end of the rubber band over the catch. Turn the axle several times. You've given the rubber band potential (stored) energy. When it unwinds, this potential energy is transformed into kinetic (motion) energy, and the axle spins. The more you wind the rubber band, the more energy is available for your car's wheels-and the farther and faster your car goes.
TEST
It's off to the races. Set your car on the floor, rubber band side down. What happens when you let your car go? When we made ours, our wheels didn't always turn freely. If this happens to you, make sure the catch isn't hitting the cardboard when the axle spins. Also, check to make sure the rubber band isn't jamming itself against the cardboard. We found that wrapping the rubber band more carefully usually solved the problem, but you can also create more space for the rubber band by making the notch just a little wider.
REDESIGN
You've just built a prototype, which is an early version of a product. Prototypes help engineers understand a product's strengths and weaknesses and how it might be improved. Thinking about your car, try to come up with some ways to make it perform even better. You can also redesign it for new challenges, like making it work on sand or thick carpet. Brainstorm ideas, revise your design, and then build and test it.
Lisa asks...
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WIND POWER WOULD BE ABLE TO ENERGIZER A CAR?
i.e. if there were millions of small miniature fans that are used in WIND power were on the CAR; could the CAR be POWERED by them?
WINDMILL FARMS ANSWERS:
No. It wouldn't work because the energy you use to get the car moving would be much greater because you have more wind resistant. And people would break them off. And if it was a windy day it still wouldn't be enough
Maria asks...
HOW WILL HYDROGEN BE MANUFACTURED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR FUEL CELL POWERED CARS LIKE THE GM SEQUEL?
Would like to know the manufacturing process and energy source - solar, WIND. Interested in the associated economics and the timing for the US and world to be able to completely convert from gasoline to hydrogen POWERED cars.
WINDMILL FARMS ANSWERS:
Hydrogen as a fuel source is created as energy is stored in a fuel cell, like a battery. It is created by electrolysis of water-running an electrical current through water in order to separate it into hydrogen and oxygen. These are then later recombined to release energy. It's much like a battery.
Conceivably, you could use any electrical power source to create the hydrogen. If you used fossil fuels, it would actually be worse than using them directly, because there is about a 30% efficiency in converting fossil fuels to electricity, but still only about a 40% efficiency in converting hydrogen fuel to energyso you'd lose a lot and it would be better to just burn the fossil fuels. If you're powering it from solar, though, it would be cleanerbut less energy efficient.
In terms of long-term energy impact, things like fuel cell powered cars won't really make much of a difference at all. The big difference comes in reduction of energy uses-lighter vehicles like sedans instead of SUV's, more fuel-efficient vehicles, people using public transportation like buses and rails moreetc. These things will have a much bigger impact on the environment than just moving over our energy source.
James asks...
IS THIS A GOOD IDEA FOR A WIND POWERED CAR?
I have an idea for a WINDPOWERED vehicle. Basically it has a battery like a normal electric vehicle and an electric motor. But when you go fast it opens up flaps that have WIND turbines inside putting more energy back into the battery.would the tubines even produce enough energy? and is this even a good idea or has it already been thought of?
WINDMILL FARMS ANSWERS:
There are some faults in the logic of it. What about when your going at a slow speed? Would that charge at all? Would it just drain the battery? How much resistance would the flaps and turbines give to the moving car? What would the net movement be afterwards? Would the net velocity and/or acceleration be worth the trouble?
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