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Car Launcher Pulled Back
Overview
Overview
The launcher needed to shoot a car up a 55 cm ramp using springs
The launcher was built using birch, with a laser-cut hook serving as the launching mechanism
The car launcher ended with a success rate of roughly 80% if positioned at the base of the launcher
An uneven hole was cut through a block of wood to position the knot between two rubber bands at the midpoint of the car
Calculations
Calculations
To determine the length needed for the car, several assumptions were made. Mainly, all energy was converted to mechanical energy with zero loss from friction, and the rubber band behaved as a linear spring constant. Although these assumptions were not accurate for the actual system, they provided an estimation of the distance needed to be pulled back. With these calculations, the launcher needed to be pulled back 9.4 cm. When testing, the final design needed to be pulled back to 10 cm to account for the losses from friction.
Calculations Used to Find Length to Pull Back
IMG_1474.MOVVideo of Launcher Working
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