Paper Airplane Lab

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

How can we make paper planes fly the farthest?

Introduction:

You will be working with a partner to design a paper airplane that will fly the farthest.

16 total trials will be conducted 8 before you make a change, 8 after

You will create a control plane, fly it 8 times, and measure the distance (DEPENDENT VARIABLE)

Then, you will make ONE change to your plane (INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) and conduct 8 more trials.

What is your first control plane going to be??

Change ONE thing Ex: small vs. big

No flaps vs. flapsNo staples vs. staples

Testable question: How will the addition of

paper clips to the paper airplane affect its flight distance?

Distance DEPENDS on the paper clips, paper clips do not DEPEND on the distance.

Hypothesis: If _(we do this independent variable)_then (this will happen to the dependent variable)___.

Question/Hypothesis

Lab Report Write Up Must include:

Title page: Title, name, period, date…………5 pts Question What did we want to answer?......5 pts Hypothesis: If/then prediction……………………5 pts Materials: A list of materials used………………5 pts Procedure: Step by step explanation of what you did to

perform the experiment. 5pts Data Table.............................................5 pts Conclusion: Hypothesis supported? What does data

show? What could you do different? ……….. 5 pts

35 pts

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.

Conclusion: What did you learn during the experiment?

Was your hypothesis supported or not supported? Explain why or why not?

What does your data show? Why do you think so?

Is there anything that you would have or should have done differently? Why?