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1. Given the challenge and the performance of your car on Test Drive #1, what change(s) did you make for Test Drive #2?

We tried to make a different kind of wheel to help stabilize the car but we ended up changing it last minute because we thought that the idea worked.

2. What differences did you predict these changes would make in your car’s performance? What makes you think this?

I thought that stabilizing the car with the different wheels would help it balance and not fall so it could go faster. I thought this would work because it fell when we didn’t have it.

3. Think about the variables such as the size of the spool, weight of the washer or tension of the rubber band. How might these affect how far or how fast your car will go?

I think that if the rubber band had more tension, it would probably make the car go farther because it has more Ge and EE in it when it is stretched. I also think that if the spool was bigger or smaller, it would affect the speed and distance because the less weight, the faster it can go and the more weight, the harder it might be to “drive”.

4. What worked better the second time?

Nothing really worked better the second time except that the car didn’t break last minute.

5. What still is not quite working?

The car still isn’t going far at all and it doesn’t go fast either.

6. What questions do I have?

Will we ever do this again?

7. What might I try next?

Next time I would try to make the wheels attached to the rubber band so maybe it could be kind of like one of those pull back cars.

8. Explain the energy transfer that is taking place in the racer.

When you pull the rubber band, it gains EE and GE and as it’s going it gains KE and loses EE and GE.