Paper planes Paper planes We are going to

Paper planes

Paper planes • We are going to be investigating paper planes! • This investigation might take a bit of time, so feel free to leave and come back to it later on or another day. • We will look at what design makes a plane go far and glide for a longer time. • You will need: • Paper (obviously!) • A timer if possible. • A tape measure if possible and an adult to help you with this.

Paper planes • First of all, I would like you to make the paper plane which is shown on the next two slides. • We are going to see how far it flies. • Whist you are making your plane, think about what makes a fair test. How do we make sure that when we perform an experiment, we make the results as accurate as possible?

Paper planes

Paper planes

Paper planes • Now we are going to test the plane to see 1. How far it travels 2. How long it glides for • We are going to record our findings. • To measure how far it has travelled a tape measure will be useful here. If you do use a tape measure, please let an adult help you with this! • If you don’t have a tape measure or can’t find an adult to help, then you can still measure in paces, or if you have the patience you could use a big ruler. • It would also be useful to have a timer to time exactly how long the plane is in the air for. If you don’t have one, you could try counting seconds.

Fair test • We need to make sure we always throw the plane from the same spot. • Try to use the same amount of force as you throw the plane. • Start the timer as soon as you release the plane and stop it as soon as the plane lands. • Measure the distance from where you threw it to where it landed. • We also need to record the results. • How could you do this?

Paper planes • Try using a table like the one below. • Throw the plane at least three times. Why do you think this is? • Remember, if you are using paces instead of meters, make sure you record this. • Try to be as accurate as you can. Flight number Flight 1 Flight 2 Flight 3 Distance (meters) Air time (seconds)

Paper planes • One last thing before you start the experiment. • Please be careful! • Throw your plane from the ground, not out of a high window. • Do not throw it near a road! • Ideally you do this in your garden, but if you wish to do this somewhere else like the park, please go with an adult. • Enjoy your experiment!

Paper planes • How did you find that? • Did you manage to record all of your data? • Optional task – I would like you to try and work out the mean value for your data. • If you don’t feel like doing this then you can skip past the next slide. • There is more information on mean values on the next page.

Paper planes • Do you remember what the mean is and how we calculate this? • To work this out we add all the numbers up and divide by how many of the numbers there were. • So if I threw a paper plane three times and it flew 4 m, 6 m and 2 m, I would calculate the mean by adding up the numbers (4 + 6 + 2 = 12) and then divide this by 3. So 12 ÷ 3 = 4 m • Have a go at working out the mean distance for your distance and air time. • If the numbers are quite difficult, then feel free to use a calculator.

Paper planes • Now I would like you to try a different design of paper plane! • I have found two different designs, it is up to you which one you make. You could also test both if you want! http: //www. viewpure. com/b. Hgly. Sr. R 5 vs? start= 0&end=0 http: //www. viewpure. com/ZP 2 NFPZULGs? start= 0&end=0

Paper planes • Got your new plane ready? • Before you test it, I’d like you to think for a minute back to how you can make your experiment fair. • Think about where you throw the plane from, how hard you throw it, and whethere is more or less wind now. • We need to try and keep everything the same, apart from the design of the plane. • One more thing on the next slide before you go off again!

Paper planes • I would like you to write a hypothesis! • A hypothesis is what you think will happen in your experiment. • So, do you think your new plane will fly further or not? Do you think it will glide for longer or not? • The important thing about a hypothesis is that it doesn’t matter if you are correct or not. • So, if you have got your hypothesis, your results table and your equipment, then time to start your experiment! • Finally, make sure you take all the same safety precautions as before.

Paper planes • How did that go? • Have a look at the data you collected and compare this to your other test. • You can work out the mean again if you like here. • Was your hypothesis correct? • Which plane flew further? Which plane had more air time? Why do you think this is? • Think about the design of the plane.

Paper planes • Now I would like you to try and design your own paper plane which will travel either further, or glide for longer (or both!). • Think about what features your paper plane might need to do either of these things. • Do you think it needs wider wings? More weight at the front? A more pointy design?

Paper planes • Once you have your plane, think about the experiment again. • What do we need to do to make this a fair test? • Remember we need to keep everything the same apart from the design of the paper plane. • Record your results and check to see how your plane did against the first two you tested. • Think about the design, and why some planes go further than others.

Paper planes • You have finished your experiment! • I hope you enjoyed it. • If you wish to continue trying out different designs then feel free to do so.