Students Rev Their 'Engines,' Brains at Mousetrap Racer Contest
Published 10.08.1998
High school students will be revving not only their "engines," but their brainpower, at the Third Annual Mousetrap Racer Contest, set for Thursday, Oct. 15, at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Over 100 students from nine high schools are set to participate in the popular all-day activity in the College's Automotive Technology Center. In preparation for the competition, the students design and construct "mousetrap racers" using engineering skills and physics principles. With each contraption, a mousetrap is the main power source which propels a small car through various tests. The event features six contests including appearance, hill climb, maximum distance, fastest car, maximum load pull, and straightest path.
Qualifying trials begin at 9 a.m. and run through the morning until a lunch break at noon. The top five in each category will advance to the finals starting at 1 p.m.
High schools to be represented at this year's competition include: Elkland Area High School, Elkland; Williamsport Area High School, Williamsport; Cardinal Brennan Junior-Senior High School, Ashland; Hanover Area School District, Wilkes-Barre; Hamburg Area High School, Hamburg; North East Bradford School District, Rome; Schuylkill Valley High School, Leesport; Millville Area High School, Elysburg; and Central Columbia High School, Bloomsburg.