Whitefish Bay Students Build Cars Out of Mousetraps

At Whitefish Bay High School, mousetraps aren't used to catch mice – they are used to teach physics.

Students enrolled in Foundations of Chemistry and Physics classes recently showcased their physics knowledge and design creativity in the school's first annual Mousetrap Car Derby. Students gathered in the main floor hallway to test run the cars, which were powered by the spring mechanism of a mousetrap.

The students came up with a wide variety of creative designs, and focused on producing cars that would travel the farthest, move at the greatest speed, and be the lightest weight.

Here are the results of the 2013 Mousetrap Car Derby:

Longest Distance 

1st Place: Justin Johnson and Lindsay Schroeder - 29.5 meters

2nd Place: Joe Noonan and Harry Fairbanks - 28.7 meters

3rd Place: Deion Chavez - 17.1 meters

Fastest Speed

1st Place: Jake Brewster and Anyssa Camacho - 2.89 seconds (to travel 5 meters)

2nd Place: Sam Diamond and Haley Kwiatkowski - 2.93 seconds

3rd Place: Andrew James and Calista Skowronski - 3.5 seconds

Lightest Weight

1st Place: Seth Buckner and Libby Thomas - 108 grams

2nd Place: Redding Tews and Mejindra Chhaantyal - 109.5 grams

3rd Place: Will Johnson and Caillyn Costello - 124.5 grams