paper airplane lab experiment dan motherspaw, adapted from a lab by laurie melanson

Paper Airplane Lab Experiment

Dan Motherspaw, adapted from a lab by Laurie Melanson

Have you flown a paper airplane before? (Hopefully not in this class)

Do you always use the same type of paper?

Do you always use the same design?

Do you want it to fly straight or do tricks?

Questions:

We are going to design an experiment to test paper airplane flight distance.

We want the planes to fly as far as they can.

We need to think about how we are going to design and perform the experiment.

What things do we need to think about? (Think about the steps of the Scientific Method)

Introduction:

Problem:

What question are we trying to answer?

We want to design an experiment to test how the addition of paper clips will affect the flight distance of the paper airplane.

How does adding paper clips to a paper airplane affect its flight?

What do you think is going to happen?

How do you think the addition of paper clips to the paper airplane affect its flight distance?

Does the placement of the clips matter?

If paper clips are added to the _(location)_ of the paper airplane, then ____________________________________________.

Hypothesis:

Materials: What do we need to perform this

experiment?

Make a list of materials: Everything and anything we need to carry

out the experiment.

Definitions

Controlled Variable- Factor in experiment that always stays the SAME.

Independent Variable- Factor in experiment that is changed on purpose.

Dependent Variable- Factor in an experiment that is observed for changes.

Procedure: How are we going to perform the

experiment? What do we need to do? What needs to be kept constant? What is our control? What is our independent variable going to be? Where are we going to perform the

experiment? What are we going to observe? How?

This should be written as a list of numbered steps.

Observations: Data Table with

measurements from the experiment.

Include headings and labels.

# of paper clips

Flight Distance (m)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Experiment Day

1. Get paper clips, lab notebook and a meter stick.

2. Make the paper airplane. Make sure you follow directions.

3. Gather materials and head out to your assigned runway.

4. Fly your airplane, measure flight distance, and record your data in your notebook. Remember to add a paper clip each time.

Making a graph of your data

Let’s review independent and dependent variables. The independent variable is what the

scientist changes during an experiment. The dependent variable is what happens

due to what is changed. Remember:

The growth of the The growth of the flower is flower is

dependent upon dependent upon the amount of the amount of

water it receives.water it receives.

Making the graphHow adding paper clips affects paper airplane How adding paper clips affects paper airplane

flight distance.flight distance.1. Create a title.1. Create a title.

2. Determine interval and label for x-axis.2. Determine interval and label for x-axis.

3. Determine 3. Determine interval and label interval and label

for y-axis.for y-axis.

4. Plot your data.4. Plot your data.

11 22 33 44 665500Number of paper clipsNumber of paper clips

22

44

66

88

1010

00

Flig

ht

Dis

tan

ce (

mete

rs)

Flig

ht

Dis

tan

ce (

mete

rs)

5. Connect the data points.5. Connect the data points.

Conclusion: What did you learn during the experiment?

Does your data make sense? Was your hypothesis correct? Explain why or

why not? Did you do anything wrong? Is there anything that you would have or should

have done differently? Your conclusion should be 3 to 4

paragraphs long.

Lab Report Write Up (40) Must include:

Title page: Title, name, period, date due (2 Points) Introduction: One paragraph about why we did this

experiment (3 Points) Problem: What question did we want to answer? (1 Point) Hypothesis: What you think will happen and why? (1

Points) Materials: A list of materials used (1 Point) Procedure: Step by step explanation of what you did to

perform the experiment. (Include airplane picture with paper clips) (10 Points)

Data Table and Graph: Include labels (5 Points) Conclusion: Explain your results, including any possible

mistakes that could have been made (15 Points) Overall Neatness (2 Points)

Mr. Motherspaw

Period 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

August 20, 2006

Use buttons to navigate Use buttons to navigate through the lab reportthrough the lab report

Return to write-up page


Introduction/ Purpose:

Problem:

Hypothesis:

The purpose of this lab is to:

1. Practice using the steps of the Scientific Method.

2. Design an experiment and learn about constants and variables.

3. Test the flight of a paper airplane after adding paper clips.

How does adding paper clips to a paper airplane affect its flight distance?

If paper clips are added to the wings of the airplane, then the airplane flight distance will decrease.


Materials:

Procedure:

• paper

• 6 paper clips

• meter sticks

• notebook

• masking tape

• pencil or pen

• marker

1. Get paper and paper clips from table.

2. Make paper airplane following teacher’s directions.

3. Write your name on the airplane.

4. Gather paper, writing utensil, meter sticks and airplane and head out to your assigned runway.

5. Put down everything except your airplane.

6. Stand on the runway start line. Stand in the same place each time.


Procedure continued:

7. With the airplane in hand, pull your arm back and throw the airplane down the runway. Make sure you throw it the same way each time.

8. Measure the distance the airplane flew to the nose of the airplane using the meter stick.

9. Record your data in your data table and pick up your airplane. Also record any problem you may have encountered. (Hitting people, bending the nose)

10. Add a paper clip to the airplane. Make sure to add it to the same place each time.

11. Repeat steps 6 – 11 for all 6 paper clips.

12. Pick up all of your materials and return to classroom.

13. Draw a picture of your airplane with the clips on it.

14. Return the meter sticks and paper clips and recycle your airplane.


Observations:

During this experiment, the paper airplane with two paper clips hit Mr. MacMillan as he was walking by and I bent the nose. After this occurred, the airplane always drifted to the right. I think that changed the outcome of the experiment. I put the paper clips in the same place each time and stood in the same place on the runway. I believe that I also threw the plane with the same speed each time.

# of paper clips

Flight Distance

(m)

0 4.53

1 6.23

2 7.14

3 7.52

4 6.59

5 5.34

6 5.67

Airplane Flight Distance with Paper Clips Addition

0

2

4

6

8

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of Paper Clips

Air

pla

ne

Flig

ht

Dis

tan

ce

(m

)


Conclusion:

My data really does not have a pattern. The distance increased and then it decreased. I think that the distance should have kept increasing based on my first two data points, but because I hit Mr. MacMillan and bent the nose of the plane I am not sure.

I need to be more careful. If you change the design of the plane it will affect its flight distance. By hitting Suzie I change the plane and therefore the experiment.

If I did the experiment again I would make sure no one was on the runway when I threw the plane. It is also difficult to measure the distance when other students are trying to fly their planes.

This lab showed us how the steps of the Scientific Method are used to solve a problem. I’m not sure I know the answer to the question based on this experiment. Sometimes many experiments need to be done to find the answer.