Results:
For our experiment we wanted to test out how the distance of a paper airplane traveled would differ if we added weight to its wings. We tested this out by using the most basic paper airplane, the dart. For the first plane we tested the average distance without and weight added, this gave us an average distance of 5.04m. For the second plane we added one paper clip to on of the wings which gave us an average distance of 3.64m. For the last plane, we added 2 paper clips to the plane, one on each wing, this gave us an average distance of 4.22m. From the results, we saw that our hypothesis was accepted. “if we add paper clips to the paper airplanes, then the distance flown will be shortened because the plane is heavier and weighs it down. Overall the distances did shorten using a comparison with plane 1 to planes 2,3.
What I learnt:
Through this experiment I learnt a variety of things. The main thing I learnt was that both balance and weight are important factors that affect the distance traveled. When you compare the 1st plane average of 5.04m to the 2nd plane average of 3.64m, we can see that the distance decreased significantly. This is because of imbalance in one of the wings since there was only 1 paper clip on one of the wings. The heavier wing dragged down the other wing causing a shorter overall distance. When we compare the 2nd plane to the 3rd plane, we can see that the 3rd plane with an average of 4.22m has a longer distance. This is because the wings are balanced in terms of weight since there was one paper clip on each wing. In addition, when we compare the 1st and 3rd planes we see an overall decrease in distance, this is because the added weight of the paperclips in the 3rd plane dragged down the plane overall.
What I would do differently next time:
Something I would do differently next time is to move to a different location. This is because during our 2nd trial of our 3rd plane, when the plane was flying, it hit a locker resulting in a shorter distance of 3.26m compared the the other distances of around 4.4m. This lead to smaller average which would have been different if it did not hit the locker. The last thing I would do is test out the planes with more paper clips with an even number on each wing. For example, the 1st plane with no clips, the 2nd plane with 3 clips on each wing, and the 3rd plane with 6 clips on each wing. This will show a more solid result of a plane that is evenly distributed in weight, and how much of a difference that makes on the distance traveled of a paper plane.
