How do I build a toy Car?

Question

Well for school we need to build a toy car.

It can be a

-Balloon powered car

-Solar Car

-Mousetrap car

-Battery powered car

What would be best to do and how can i build it...

The car cant be any bigger than 20cm in length and 10cm width. Thank-you if you can help!!!

Answer 1

Given the conversion to approx 4" x 8" I doubt solar would work.

   Two of the suggestions  would be kinetic energy, certainly more simple, yet would only move a short distance, relatively speaking.

   The battery notion would dictate a motor, connected by gearing or,,,to one of the axles. That would have to be determined in a design in such a small vehicle. In that context however, you might tear open a battery operated TOY that functions that way, to get an idea of what you'd have to do.

   A Balloon car might be the most simple, with the balloon of choice resting, inflated, on top of the car. The problem you might have in that, is having the "VALVE" at the rear exit point, and securing the balloon.

   A mouse trap propulsion, would likely cause JUMPING, possible flipping of the vehicle, no matter how you rig the spring/trap mechanism, to strike the surface and move the car.

Answer 2

Well - as you are embarking on a project like this you should be old enough to realise that projects like this are set to make you 'think' and to make you conversant with the fact that there is nearly always more than one way of doing a thing.

If we give you the answer it will defeat much of the object of your project!