Investigation Lab: Paper Airplane Distance
Research Question
Does the design of a paper airplane affect how far it flies?
Hypothesis
Predict which airplane design will fly the farthest. Write your hypothesis before testing!
Materials Needed
- 3 sheets of paper (same type)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Masking tape (to mark throwing line)
- Data table (below)
- Pencil
Procedure
- Make 3 different airplane designs: (1) Basic dart, (2) Wide wing, (3) Your own design
- Mark a throwing line with tape on the floor.
- Throw each airplane 3 times from the same spot with the same force.
- Measure how far each throw traveled (from the line to where it landed).
- Record all data in your table immediately.
- Calculate the average for each design.
Data Table
| Design | Trial 1 | Trial 2 | Trial 3 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Dart | ||||
| Wide Wing | ||||
| My Design |
Analysis Questions
1. Which airplane design flew the farthest on average?
Think About It
Compare the averages you calculated for each design.
2. Why did we throw each airplane 3 times instead of once?
A) To waste paper
B) To get more accurate data by averaging
C) Because one throw is too easy
D) No reason
Answer
B) - Multiple trials reduce the effect of random errors and give more reliable results.
3. What was the variable you changed in this experiment?
A) The paper type
B) The airplane design
C) How hard you threw
D) The room temperature
Answer
B) The airplane design - This is what we tested (the independent variable).
4. What should stay the SAME for a fair test?
A) The airplane design
B) The paper type, throwing force, and starting point
C) The distance flown
D) Nothing
Answer
B) - These are controlled variables that should stay constant.
5. What type of data did you collect (distance in cm)?
A) Qualitative
B) Quantitative
C) Opinion
D) Guesses
Answer
B) Quantitative - Distance measurements are numerical data.
6. If your hypothesis was wrong, what should you do?
A) Change your data
B) Report what actually happened
C) Pretend it was correct
D) Give up
Answer
B) - Scientists always report real results, even when unexpected.
7. What graph type would best show your airplane distances?
A) Pie chart
B) Bar graph
C) Line graph
D) No graph needed
Answer
B) Bar graph - Bar graphs are good for comparing categories (different designs).
8. How do you calculate the average of 3 trials?
A) Add all three and multiply by 3
B) Add all three and divide by 3
C) Subtract the smallest from the largest
D) Pick the middle number
Answer
B) - Average = (Trial 1 + Trial 2 + Trial 3) ÷ 3
9. One of your throws went way farther than the others. This data point is called:
A) Normal
B) An outlier
C) The average
D) The hypothesis
Answer
B) An outlier - Outliers are data points that are much different from the others.
10. What could you test next to extend this experiment?
A) Different paper weights
B) Adding paper clips to the nose
C) Different throwing heights
D) All of the above
Answer
D) All of the above - Each could be a new variable to investigate.
Next Steps
- Create a bar graph of your average distances
- Write a conclusion about which design flew farthest and why
- Continue to CER Writing