Introduction: Ready, Get Set, H2GO!
Do you want to race with your friends but think a small toy car is too bland? Well, this game is just for you! Introducing Ready, Get Set, H2GO! This game is a race that consists of water-powered cars. Have fun with your friends while knowing about the concepts of physics at the same time!
In this game, it is our goal to find out which water-powered car will arrive first at the finish line when given the same amount of water, which is 1 Liter. Ready, Get Set, H20! can be explained through the use of potential and kinetic energy. The water is poured in the car's water funnel which stores gravitational potential energy, when the water plunges into the water fountain, the gravitational potential energy it stores is converted to kinetic mechanical energy. Hence, propelling the CD to rotate in order for the water-powered car to accelerate.
Game mechanics:
1. Place your water powered car next to the car of your opponent.
2. Each player should get a pail filled with 1L of water.
3. If each player is ready, a countdown will start.
4. After the countdown has ended, each player should start filling up their car’s water funnel. They should pour all the contents of the pail.
5. The first car to the finish line which is 6 feet away from the starting position is the winner!
Supplies
- 2 pieces of wood with 11 inches as its length (also called L wood)
- 4 pieces of wood with 8 inches as its length (also called M wood)
- 2 inches of wood with 5 inches as its length (also called S wood)
- 2 bamboo sticks
- 3 CDs
- 12 bottle caps
- 1 plastic bottle (Preferably a 1.5L bottle)
Step 1: Making the Wheels
1.Using hot glue, attach the rim of the bottle cap to the center, in alignment with the hole of the CD Disk.
2. Make a 1mm diameter hole in the middle of the bottle cap. It must be fit enough to insert a bamboo stick.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 to make a total of two wheels.
4. Repeat steps 1-2 but this time add another bottle cap to the other side of the CD. Make a 1mm diameter hole on the bottle cap. This should give you a wheel with a bottle cap on each side.
Step 2: Making the Water Fountain
1.With a new bottle cap, make six cuts on its rim, which is enough to fit ice cream sticks.
2. Cut each ice cream stick into half. Insert one ice cream stick in each cut that you have made. Secure it with hot glue.
3. In the middle of a new bottle cap, drill a 1mm diameter hole.
4. Insert a bamboo stick in the hole.
*Make sure that the popsicles can spin by firmly holding the bamboo stick and then applying force to the popsicle so that it turns.
5. Using hot glue, attach the lid of one bottle cap to the end of each popsicle. All of the caps must be facing the same direction.
Step 3: Making the Water Funnel
1. Get an empty plastic bottle. Using a cutter, cut it in half.
2. Drill a hole about 5mm in diameter at the base of the cup. It must be enough to fit a pen barrel.
3. Get a pen barrel and cut out a 3-inches portion of it. It will serve as the tube where the water will flow out.
4. Place the 3 inches pen barrel inside the 5mm hole you made in the cup. Secure it with hot glue.
Step 4: Making the Body of the Car
1. On the L wood, make a hole on the 2 and ½ inches mark of it. Make another hole in the 8th-inch mark. Repeat this on the other 11-inch wood.
2. Insert the bamboo stick with the water fountain on the 8th-inch mark. Insert a wheel on each side of the bamboo stick.
3. On the 2 and ½ inches mark, insert a bamboo stick with the wheel which has 2 bottle caps on it.
4. At the end of the stick, place the S wood in between the two M wood.
5. Glue the other S wood in the 5th-inch mark in between the two M wood.
6. Place an M wood on top of the 5th-inch mark. Place another M wood in the 10th-inch mark.
7. Repeat the same step for the other L wood.
8. Place a CD on top of the 4 wooden sticks. This will serve as the place where your water funnel will be.
Step 5: New Game Mode!
Bored of just a simple race? Try our new game mode! If there are more than 4 players, you can try squad race! Squad race is wherein the players will be separated into two teams, each player will take turn pouring water into the funnel until each player has no water left. The car with the farther distance wins!