1. Paper Airplane Lab Experiment
Dan Motherspaw, adapted from a lab by Laurie Melanson

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Lab Report Write Up
Must include:
Title page: Title, name, period, date due
Introduction: One paragraph about why we did this experiment
Problem: What question did we want to answer?
Hypothesis: What you think will happen and why?
Materials: A list of materials used
Procedure: Step by step explanation of what you did to perform the experiment. (Include airplane picture with paper clips)
Data Table and Graph: Include labels
Conclusion: Explain your results, including any possible mistakes that could have been made
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Paper Airplane Lab Report
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Mr. Motherspaw
Period 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
August 20, 2006
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4. Introduction/ Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is to:
Practice using the steps of the Scientific Method.
Design an experiment and learn about constants and variables.
Test the flight of a paper airplane after adding paper clips.
Problem:
How does adding paper clips to a paper airplane affect its flight distance?
Hypothesis:
If paper clips are added to the wings of the airplane, then the airplane flight distance will decrease.
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5. Get paper and paper clips from table.
Materials:
paper
6 paper clips
meter sticks
notebook
masking tape
pencil or pen
marker
Procedure:
Get paper and paper clips from table.
Make paper airplane following teacher’s directions.
Write your name on the airplane.
Gather paper, writing utensil, meter sticks and airplane and head out to your assigned runway.
Put down everything except your airplane.
Stand on the runway start line. Stand in the same place each time.
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6. Repeat steps 6 – 11 for all 6 paper clips.
Procedure continued:
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.
Measure the distance the airplane flew to the nose of the airplane using the meter stick.
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)
Add a paper clip to the airplane. Make sure to add it to the same place each time.
Repeat steps 6 – 11 for all 6 paper clips.
Pick up all of your materials and return to classroom.
Draw a picture of your airplane with the clips on it.
Return the meter sticks and paper clips and recycle your airplane.
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7. 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)
4.53 1
6.23 2
7.14 3
7.52 4
6.59 5
5.34 6
5.67
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8. 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.
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