Does anyone know any good ways to make a newton scooter?

Question

I've been working for so long on this and can't find a way that works good.

Answer 1

The term "Newton Scooter" is not a common term everybody knows about. You need to be more clear if you want an answer.

You're not allowed to use gravity (i.e. rolling it down a ramp.) You're also not allowed to use battery power. Don't you have to build something that moves 1.5 meters? It has to demonstrate the action-reaction principle (Newton's 3rd law of motion).

With gravity and electricity banned, I think you should start by examining alternate forms of energy storage. Mechanical energy storage methods include springs and compressed gas. Springs can come in many forms, including a rubber band, which serves as a spring in tension. Compressed gas can be as simple as a 2L bottle full of compressed air.

Despite the ban on batteries, there are other forms of chemical energy. Certain chemical energy can be readily converted to heat through combustion, also known simply as burning. With the proper permission and supervision, candles, when used properly, can yield usable energy. You might also consider the popular mix of baking soda and vinegar to create a gas which, when confined to a container, compresses itself waiting to be used.

What if you took a 2L bottle and attached it to a small car, perhaps between 6 inches (~15cm) and a foot (~30cm) long? You could put some vinegar and baking soda in it with a cork lightly put on. When the cork blows, it'll blow the mixture out of the bottle. (Do this outside, and don't let anyone or anything breakable behind it!) Point the bottle backwards with the car facing forward. The backward force against the stuff coming out of the bottle will cause a reaction force against the bottle itself to move the bottle and car forward.