Mouse Trap Muscle Contraction

Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★★☆ Some safety precautions required to perform safely

Categories: Body Systems

Alternative titles: All-or-None Muscle Contraction, Muscle Response Analogy

Summary

A mousetrap is used to demonstrate the all-or-none principle of muscle contraction. Just like a muscle fiber, the trap either snaps fully or not at all when triggered by a stimulus.

Procedure

Set a mousetrap carefully according to its standard setup.
Hold up a pen or pencil to represent the stimulus.
Apply force with the pen or pencil to trip the mousetrap.
Show that the trap snaps completely once triggered, not partially.
Compare this action to the way a muscle contracts in an all-or-none fashion when stimulated.

Links

📄 Mouse Muscle Contraction (Page 20 of pdf) - Author: https://www.link.link2

Variations

Pair with a nerve impulse demonstration to show how signals trigger the contraction.

Safety Precautions

Handle the mousetrap carefully to avoid pinching fingers.
Keep fingers and hands away from the snapping mechanism during setup.
Use a pen or pencil, not fingers, to trigger the trap for safety.

Questions to Consider

Why does the mousetrap snap completely rather than partially?
How does this model demonstrate the all-or-none principle of muscle contraction?
In what way do real muscles differ from this mousetrap model?