======Mousetrap Nuclear Fission======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Mousetrap Chain Reaction
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Assemble a 6 × 7 array of mousetraps on a plywood board.  
  - Load each mousetrap with two ping pong balls.  
  - Demonstrate with a single mousetrap by setting it off with a stick and showing how one ball is released.  
  - With the plexiglas cover off, drop a ping pong ball onto the array to show limited reactions without containment.  
  - Place the plexiglas cover over the array to contain flying balls.  
  - Drop a rubber ball through the side hole of the box to set off a large chain reaction across the mousetrap array.



====Links==== 
Mousetrap Fission - Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations: 
{{youtube>vjqIJW_Qr3c?}}\\

Mousetrap Chain Reaction - SFU Physics: 
{{youtube>Gsfc52QQMwc?}}\\

📄 Mousetrap Chain Reaction - Simon Fraser University: [[https://www.sfu.ca/physics/demos/demos-experiments/mousetrap-chain-reaction-burnaby.html#:~:text=Arm%20the%20single%20mousetrap%20with,a%20nucleus%20and%20the%20mousetrap.]]\\

📄 Nuclear Fission with Ping Pong Balls (variation with students throwing) - ANSTO: [[https://www.ansto.gov.au/media/2830/download]]\\


====Variations====
  * Use fewer mousetraps to make a smaller-scale version.  
  * Replace ping pong balls with cork stoppers for different reaction dynamics.  
  * Explore electronic mousetrap simulations to avoid manual setup.  
  * Have each student hold two ping pong balls; when struck by a flying ping pong ball, they throw both of theirs into the air to extend the chain reaction into the classroom.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Safety glasses required.  
  * Handle mousetraps with extreme care to avoid accidental triggering.  
  * Always keep hands and face away from armed mousetraps.  
  * Use a plexiglas cover to contain flying ping pong balls during the full chain reaction.  
  * Ensure demonstration is conducted only in a controlled classroom or lecture setting.  
  * If students participate in the variation, ensure they stand well back from the mousetrap array to avoid injury.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How does this demonstration model a nuclear chain reaction? (Each mousetrap represents a nucleus, and releasing balls shows how one reaction can set off many others.)  
  * Why is the plexiglas cover important? (It prevents injuries from flying ping pong balls and allows safe observation of the reaction.)  
  * What factors determine whether the chain reaction spreads quickly or fizzles out? (The density of traps and whether enough energy is released to trigger nearby traps.)  
  * In the student variation, how does throwing balls in the air represent neutron multiplication? (It simulates how one reaction in a nucleus can release multiple neutrons, which can then cause additional reactions.)