Hands on Activity 1 PAPERCOPTERS Objectives: 1. To explore and investigate air resistance as a type of friction that slows down or speed speeds up an object that falls. Introduction: Demonstrate how dropping different objects of different size and weight fall to the ground, e.g. a rubber, a book, a pen, a ruler, scissors, etc. Now take two pieces of A4 paper. Crumple up one piece of paper into a ball. Before dropping the crumpled piece of paper and the other sheet of paper at the same time, ask the children to predict how the two pieces of paper will fall. Remind them that both are the same size and weight but one is crumpled up into a ball and the other is not. After you have dropped them, ask them why they think the two pieces of paper did not reach the ground at the same time.
Background 1. Information: Objects fall to the ground because they are being pulled by the force of gravity. The rate at which they fall does not depend on the size, as demonstrated earlier when different sized objects were at the same time. The rate at which they fall depends on the shape of the object and the resistance it offers the air as they drop. This is seen by dropping a sheet of paper and a crumpled piece of paper. The normal sheet of paper has a surface that offers more air resistance to make it fall slower. The wings of the papercopter provide enough air resistance to make it drop slowly. In order for objects to remain in the air without falling, a great force is needed to keep them suspended. Fair testing: Variables are things that can change in an experiment. A fair test is one in which only one thing (variable) is changed. An independent variable is the thing that is changed. The factors that are kept the same are called the control variables. Example: Which parachute offers most air resistance? Independent variable: materials: plastic, paper, card, etc. Control variables: parachutes of same size, dropped from the same height, dropped at the same time.
Materials you will need: 1. Papercopter template 2. Scissors 3. Paper clips 4. Stopwatch Procedure: 1. First, cut out the template. 2. Starting at the top of the wider part, cut down through the middle, following the line, to create wings. 3. Fold the wings down in opposite directions from one another.
4. Attach a paper clip at the bottom of the strip of paper. 5. Before dropping the papercopter, ask the children to predict what will happen when they drop it. Will it fall? Will it spin? Will it drop to the ground? 6. Hold the papercopter with the wings facing up and the part with the paper clip pointing down. 7. Drop the papercopter from an elevated place and watch it spin to the ground. 8. After seeing what happens, ask them to explain why? 9. With a stopwatch, ask them to record how long it takes to drop to the ground.
PAPERCOPTERS 2 Objectives: To explore and compare how changing variables in an investigation affects air resistance of papercopters. To plan and carry out a fair test. Introduction: 1. Explain that they are going to design their own experiment by changing a variable that may affect how fast the papercopter drops to the ground. 2. Brainstorm the variables they can change to test: e.g. Length of the wings Length of the base Width of the wings Width of the base Size Type of paper Number of paper clips 3. Tell them to make the papercopter according to the variable they have decided to change. 4. Design a chart to record their results. 5. Carry out the experiment and record their results. 6. Discuss the results. 7. Ask them what their conclusions are.
Recording the experiment: (Possible chart to record results. Students may design their own.) First Second Third Average drop Drop drop drop Control papercopter papercopter 2 (changed variable) Conclusion: papercopter took the longest to reach the ground, therefore offers greater air resistance.