Doc Fizzix Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual (Fox Chapel Publishing) Beginner-Friendly Instructions, Illustrations, and Designs for Racers that Kids & Parents Can Construct Together - Softcover

Alden Balmer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 156523359X ISBN 13: 9781565233591

Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing, 2008

Synopsis

Experience the thrill of victory—while learning science! Inside this engaging educational reference, Doc Fizzix reveals:

• 7 mousetrap racer plans ranging from a Basic Racer to the speedy Double-Trouble
• Speed and distance tricks that will make your racer travel the fastest and farthest
• Trouble-shooting tips and techniques for solving any design problem
• How to create a winning Science Fair project using secrets from the lab of Doc Fizzix

What's a mousetrap racer? A very cool, very fast vehicle that's powered by the energy of a wound mousetrap spring! Now, with only a few simple tools and materials, a curious mind, and the science-secrets of Doc Fizzix, you too can build a mousetrap dragster that will compete at the fastest speeds, up the steepest inclines, or in an unlimited number of contests—all while discovering the fun of physics and engineering first-hand.

Kids are naturally curious. They love to build stuff, and projects that involve cars will entertain children for hours. In this entertaining guide written by a Teacher-of-the-Year winner, your kids will learn how to construct race cars from ordinary, affordable household materials, while learning the science behind how they work, in language easy enough for a 7th grader to understand.

Offering more than just a fun project, mousetrap-powered vehicles are a gateway to many of the great concepts in science. Projects using mousetrap vehicles have dramatically grown in popularity in classrooms across the nation and this easy-to-read manual teaches parents, teachers, and science students of all ages the basic construction secrets they need to build champion mousetrap-powered vehicles, using nothing more than common household items.

Written by an award-winning science teacher holding national mousetrap speed and distance records, this guide also identifies the variables that dramatically affect the performance of mousetrap races and offers prescriptive advice based on primary scientific concepts such as friction, inertia, force, and acceleration.

Containing full-color photos, diagrams, fun illustrations, and easy-to-follow step-by-step directions for creating the ultimate speed-trap dragster, long-distance racer, boats, and more, this activity guide is designed to eliminate the guesswork and make learning fun! Working together, students and parents will learn how to build racing vehicles that not only win the gold for top speed, but also take home the trophy for longest distance traveled.

With the ingenious ideas and multiple projects inside Doc Fizzix's Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual, you have a fun weekend activity for the whole family, a cool lesson plan any student will enjoy, and an engaging source of science information that doesn't read like a textbook!

About this title

About the Author

Doc Fizzix (Alden J. Balmer) is an award-winning physics teacher from McNeil High School in Round Rock Independent School District and the 1996 Texas Science Teacher of the Year. Doc Fizzix has appeared on several nationally aired television programs and has been featured in many magazines including: The Science Teacher, Boys' Life, Web Page Design, Physics Today, and more.

From the Back Cover

Experience the thrill of victory
– while learning science!

What's a mousetrap racer? A very cool, very fast vehicle that's powered by the energy of a wound mousetrap spring! Now, with only a few simple tools and materials, a curious mind, and the science-secrets of Doc Fizzix, you too can build a mousetrap dragster that will compete at the fastest speeds, up the steepest inclines, or in an unlimited number of contests—all while discovering the fun of physics and engineering first-hand. Written by an award-winning science teacher holding national mousetrap speed and distance records, this entertaining and easy-to-read manual for teachers, parents, and kids of all ages features full-color, step-by-step directions for constructing a champion mousetrap-powered racer.

Inside this engaging educational reference, Doc Fizzix reveals:

• The plans for 7 different mousetrap racers ranging from a Basic Racer to the speedy Double-Trouble
• Special speed and distance tricks that will make your racer travel the fastest and farthest
• Trouble-shooting tips and techniques for solving any design problem
• How to create a winning Science Fair project using secrets from the lab of Doc Fizzix!

With the ingenious ideas and multiple projects inside Doc Fizzix's Mousetrap Racers: The Complete Builder's Manual, you have a fun weekend activity for the whole family, a cool lesson plan any student will enjoy, and an engaging source of science information that doesn't read like a textbook!

Reviews

Grade 6 Up—Building a mousetrap-powered model racer is more complex than it first appears, and Balmer uses this project as a springboard for teaching principles of physics such as energy, forces, torque, friction, and traction. Given the recommended tools and potential hazards (mousetrap springs, superglue, a drill press), it's clear that this activity is not intended for young or unsupervised children. The author's enthusiasm for the topic and for teaching are apparent throughout, and his focus on safety is consistent. The thorough instructions are complemented by clear, captioned, full-color photos and line drawings and diagrams that illustrate each step of the construction process. The book contains directions for four racers, with possible variations and modifications added in a section on advanced techniques. Principles of mousetrap racing are presented along with related lab experiments, formulae, tables, and calculations suitable for science fairs. An attractive introduction to a challenging, educational hobby.—Jeffrey A. French, formerly at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
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Edition details

• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 156523359X
• ISBN 13: 9781565233591
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144