SAMPLE: Fair Test Experiment Paper Airplanes John Doe and Jane Smith Mr. Tripp North Middle School

We are doing an experiment with Paper Airplanes BRAINSTORM We are doing an experiment with Paper Airplanes What materials or conditions can be changed? What can you measure as a result? What tools and unit of measurement can you use? Design of the plane Paper used Weight of the plane How you throw the plane Where you throw the plane (inside, outside) Distance of flight Height of the flight Speed of flight Time of flight Ruler (cm), tape measure (cm), non standard unit (shoes), meter stick (cm) Ladder, string and tape measure. (cm) Radar gun (kph), stopwatch (seconds) Stopwatch (seconds)

Variables and Constants Independent Variable: Weight of Paper Airplane Dependent Variable: Distance (cm) of flight Constant Variables: Design of plane, type of paper used, how you throw the plane, where you throw the plane.

How does the weight of a paper airplane affect the distance it flies? Testable Question How does the weight of a paper airplane affect the distance it flies?

Hypothesis If I throw paper airplanes with different weights, then the heavier plane will fly the farthest.

Procedure Make a paper airplane by using a design of your choice. Go to an open location like a gym or hallway and throw the plane. Measure the distance of flight with a tape measure in centimeters. Throw and measure the plane again for 2 more trials. Repeat steps 2-4 by adding 2 paperclips, then 4 paperclips.

Distance of flight (cm) Data Table Weight of plane Distance of flight (cm) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Mean 0 paper clips 110 85 90 95 2 paper clips 225 230 280 245 4 paper clips 150 140 100

Graph Distance of flight (cm) Weight of paper airplane

Conclusion This experiment was to determine if the weight of a paper airplane affects the distance it flies. My hypothesis was the heavier plane would fly the farthest. The data does not support my hypothesis because the plane with 2 paperclips flew the farthest with an average of 245 centimeters, and the heaviest plane with 4 paperclips only flew an average of 100 centimeters. To further this experiment we would like to determine if the design of the airplane would affect the distance it flies.