How Can a Physics Car Project Achieve Automatic Stopping at a Set Distance?

[Wondergirl137]

For my Physics class I have to build a car. This car must be no more than one meter in height and width. It also must carry a beanie baby passsenger. You see this car must not have a motor, and u cannot steer it in any way. You can't even push it to start it forward, you can only let it go. The catch is that the day the car is due he will assign the class a length from 8 to 12 meters. So when you release the car it will have to stop on its own exactly the distance in which he assigns that day. You are not allowed to do any testing with you car once the distance is assigned that day. For every centimeter your car misses the appointed distance, the more points you lose. I have no idea on how to make this car stop at any given distance. Please help me with my project! If you have any questions about my project feel free to post them! Thank you very much!

 

[Danger]

How ironic! I ran across this site by accident and saw this request. It's what prompted me to register. Now that I've managed to get access, I see that I'm several months too late. Just in case you still want help, I'll respond. Keep in mind that I have unusual and devious thought processes. One of my primary talents is circumventing rules without actually breaking them. Anyhow, your scenario is missing some critical details, such as what is supposed to make the car move. If no motor is allowed, it must be launched from an incline as would be a soapbox car. Is there a specific definition of "motor"? Simplest solution would be to attach a cord of specified length and anchor it. Otherwise, time or distance activated braking mechanism. Or place a barrier at the finish line. Lots of dirty tricks are technically legit.

 

[charng]

Hello there,

I understand your concern regarding your physics car project. Building a car that can stop at a specific distance without any external control is definitely a challenging task. However, with some scientific principles and techniques, it is possible to achieve this goal.

Firstly, it is important to understand the concept of inertia. Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. In this case, your car will have a certain amount of inertia that will keep it moving forward once it is released. To stop the car at a specific distance, we need to find a way to reduce this inertia.

One way to do this is by incorporating a mechanism that creates friction between the car and the ground. Friction is a force that opposes motion and can be used to slow down an object. You can achieve this by adding a brake system to your car, such as a rubber pad or a small piece of sandpaper on the wheels. As the car moves, the friction between the wheels and the ground will gradually slow it down, allowing it to stop at the desired distance.

Another approach is to use a counterweight system. This can be achieved by attaching a weight to the back of the car. As the car moves forward, the weight will create a force in the opposite direction, reducing the car's inertia and helping it to stop at the assigned distance.

Additionally, you can also experiment with the design and weight distribution of your car to find the right balance that will allow it to stop at the desired distance.

I hope these suggestions help you in your project. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. Good luck with your project!