1st - The Mousetrap Vehicle Design Engineering Competition: to improve student performance on the technical report and interview portions of the SECME competition
2nd - The Seminole Ridge Community High School 2009-2010 School Improvement Plan (SIP). The SRCHS SIP has been developed by teachers, students, parents, administrators, and community members to set a plan of action for the entire Seminole Ridge Community High School community to improve the academic achievement of all students in the school. The objectives in the SIP are a combination of federal, state, and local mandates as well as school designed objectives unique to SRCHS students. SECME is a part of the SRCHS SIP to enhance student problem-solving skills in science and mathematics, and to apply student conceptual learning to reality-based projects.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Marie and Andrew were testing their mousetrap vehicle (MTV). They set up a trial run to calculate the N value of their MTV. The N score of the MTV is the product of the ratio of w (the weight of the mousetrap) to W (the weight of the entire vehicle) multiplied by the square of D (the distance the MTV travels) to L (the length of the entire mousetrap vehicle). Which of the following tools would be best to use to measure the N value of their MTV?
A. Stopwatch and balance scale
B. Metric tape and stopwatch
C. Metric tape and balance scale
D. Balance scale and thermometer
2. What would Maria and Andrew need to know in order to calculate the average speed of their mousetrap vehicle?
F. distance and direction
G. time and acceleration
H. mass and acceleration
I. force and distance
3. Which of the following is the main force that stops the motion of a mousetrap vehicle?
A. a push or a pull
B. gravity
C. heating
D. friction
4. The amount of force required to start the mousetrap vehicle moving is
F. less than the force required to keep the vehicle moving
G. the same as the force required to keep the vehicle moving
H. greater than the force required to keep the vehicle moving
I. not related to the force required to keep the vehicle moving
FREE RESPONSE
These sample test materials are designed to help you prepare to answer FCAT Science questions. Some FCAT Science questions require you to provide your answers by filling in numeric grids.
1. In the 2009 SECME National competition, The Crusaders mousetrap vehicle was 0.083 meters long, had a mass of 0.0292 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 24.625 meters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle operated for 16 seconds. What average speed, in meters per second, did the Crusaders' mousetrap achieve?
2. In the 2009 SECME National competition, the Blue Devils mousetrap vehicle was 0.152 meters long, had a mass of 0.0572 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 18.286 meters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle started from rest and operated for 18 seconds. Assuming the acceleration was constant, what average acceleration, in meters per second squared, did the Blue Devils' mousetrap achieve?
3. In the 2009 SECME National competition, The Anomalies mousetrap vehicle was 0.108 meters long, had a mass of 0.0506 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 24.765 meters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle started from rest and operated for 17 seconds. How much horizontal force, in newtons, did the Anomalies' vehicle apply during its total movement?
4. In the 2009 SECME National competition, The Hybrid Kids mousetrap vehicle was 0.368 meters long, had a mass of 0.0911 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 12.828 meters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle started from rest and operated for 20 seconds. How much momentum, in kilogram-meters per second, did the Kids' vehicle create during its total movement?
5. In the 2009 SECME National competition, the Lightening mousetrap vehicle was 0.184 meters long, had a mass of 0.0813 kilograms, and it crossed a distance of 13.720 centimeters. Suppose the mousetrap vehicle started from rest and operated for 18 seconds. How much work, in Joules, did the Lightening vehicle achieve during its total movement?
MOUSETRAP VEHICLE MATCHING
Choose the correct vocabulary term that identified the parts of the mousetrap vehicle. Words may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
Vocabulary Bank
- Axle
- Gear
- Rail
- Mousetrap Base
- Locking lever
- Spring
- Bail arm
- Pull string
- wheel
A. ______________________________
B. ______________________________
C. ______________________________
D. ______________________________
E. ______________________________
F. ______________________________
ANSWER KEY FOR SECME SCHOOL COORDINATOR
