A stylized diagram of a high-energy winder mechanism with a golden coiled core, labeled 'HIGH-ENERGY WINDER' and 'POTENTIAL EVERGY', against a blue grid background.

### ## Idea 1: The High-Energy Winder (To Go Farther) **Goal:** Maximize the stored **potential energy** in the rubber band and release it efficiently to make the can travel the full 4 meters. **How to achieve it:** 1. **Use a Stronger Power Source:** Instead of a single, standard rubber band, try using a thicker, stronger one. If you don't have one, you can chain two or three regular rubber bands together to increase the overall tension and the amount of energy you can store with each wind. 2. **Optimize the Weight System:** The washers are crucial. They act as a weight that, when wound up, stores the energy from the rubber band. Experiment with the **number of washers**. * **More weight** (more washers) will create more inertia. This means the rubber band will unwind more slowly and for a longer period, providing a sustained push that helps the can roll a greater distance. * **Too much weight**, however, might be too heavy for your rubber band to turn effectively. Find the sweet spot by testing different amounts. **Why it works:** The distance your can travels is directly related to how much energy you can store in the twisted rubber band. A stronger rubber band and a heavier, optimized weight system allow you to store significantly more energy, which then translates into a longer roll. *** ### ## Idea 2: The Straight-Line Stabilizer (To Go Straighter) **Goal:** Ensure the can is perfectly balanced and aligned so that it rolls in a straight line without veering off course. See more