It seems like the car should only go as far forward as you pull back (or maybe a bit more to account for momentum), but it actually shoots forward like 10-15x farther than you pull back.
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Toy cars that can be pulled back and then move forward typically use a simple mechanism called a pull-back motor. Here’s how it works:
1. Pull-back wind-up: When you pull the toy car backward, you are winding up a small internal spring or a set of gears connected to the rear wheels.
2. Energy storage: As you pull the car back, you are storing potential energy in the spring or gears, compressing them. The more you pull it back, the more energy is stored.
3. Release: When you release the car, the stored energy is quickly released. This causes the spring or gears to unwind rapidly, transferring the stored energy to the rear wheels.
4. Forward motion: The rapid release of energy is transmitted to the wheels, causing them to turn quickly. This turning of the wheels in turn propels the toy car forward.
The key to this mechanism is the rapid release of stored energy, which propels the car forward when you let it go. It’s a fun and simple way to create movement in toy cars without the need for batteries or complex electronics.
Energy = force * distance.
Pulling back the car requires lots of force to wind up the spring, so it can store lots of energy. Going forward, the spring doesn’t have much to push against so the energy can take it a long way.
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