The Rubber Band:
A mini Projectile
Name:
School: Meadow Park Elementary School
Science Teacher: Ms. Tritia Demmitt
Classroom Teacher:
Date: December 7, 2012
Grade: 6th
Student’s Name 1
Table of Contents
Investigative Question ……………………………….
Page 3
Introduction ……………………………………………….
Page 4
Background Research …………………………………
Page 5
Hypothesis …………………………………………………
Page 7
Materials ……………………………………………………
Page 8
Procedures …………………………………………………
Page 9
Qualitative Observations …………………………..
Page 10
Quantitative Data ………………………………………
Page 11
Graph of Results …………………………………………
Page 12
Conclusion …………………………………………………
Page 13
Applications ……………………………………………….
Page 15
Future Research …………………………………………
Page 17
Acknowledgments ……………………………………..
Page 18
Bibliography ………………………………………………
Page 19
Appendices …….………………………………………….
Page 20
**(Note to students & parents: Page numbers will vary depending on child’s length of
Background Research)**
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Investigative Question
How does the angle of arm on a rubber band cannon affect the distance it
will travel forward?
**(Note to students & parents: This is one sentence that includes your Independent and
Dependent Variables and should be in this format “How does…. affect…)**
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Introduction
In our science class, we have been making observations. The other day I
observed a rubber band cannon. I learned that you need an open area so the
rubber band doesn’t change direction due to wind or hitting a tree. I also noticed
several variables, related to my observations, which might affect the results for
this project. Three of the variables that were identified are: angle of the arm on
the rubber band cannon, type and/or size of a rubber band, and distance you
could pull back on the rubber band. The variable I have decided to investigate is
the angle of the arm on the rubber band cannon.
**(Note to students & parents: This is one paragraph that explains how you became interested
in your topic and project.)**
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Background Research Summary
Forces act on moving objects by pushing or pulling them. The force of
gravity attracts objects to each other. It is affected by the distance between the
objects and by the mass of the objects. Gravity pulls objects on Earth towards the
ground.
Galileo investigated the Law of Falling Bodies. It states that objects which
are dropped at the same time will land at the same time. Galileo believed that
objects, including projectiles, would move at a constant speed if their motion was
not affected by forces, such as friction or gravity. Instead, these forces cause
projectiles to move in curved paths know as parabolas. Galileo found that
projectiles launched from a 45 degree angle stay in the air longer than those
launched from other angles.
Isaac Newton developed three Laws of Motion. The law of Inertia states
that objects at rest stay at rest and that objects in motion keep moving in a
straight line. Newton’s Law of Mass and Acceleration says that the more mass an
object has, the harder it is to push it, to pull it, or to stop it. Friction from the air
causes projectiles to slow down as they are rising. Gravity causes them to speed
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up as they are falling. Finally, the Law of Action and Reaction says that for every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Energy was defined by Thomas Young as the ability to do work. Young
described two types of energy. Objects as rest have stored or potential energy.
Moving objects have kinetic energy.
**(Note to students & parents: This is 1 – 2 pages of information and definitions relevant to
your Investigative Question. It needs to be in paragraph/essay format and is used to formulate
your hypothesis.)**
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Hypothesis
I predict that the rubber band will go the furthest when launched at the 50
degree angle because this is the closest angle to 45 degrees. Galileo found that
projectiles launched from a 45 degree angle stay in the air longer, so at a 50
degree angle, it should go the furthest. I predict that the 30 degree angle will
project the rubber band the second furthest because this is the next closest angle
to 45 degrees. Finally, I predict the 70 degree angle will launch the rubber band
the shortest because this angle should project more “up” rather than “out”. It is
also a much steeper angle than 45 degrees.
**(Note to students & parents: This is your best educated guess as to what will happen during
your experiment. It should include three “I predict…because…” sentences {1 for each
Independent Variable} and be SPECIFIC. )**
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Materials
 1 rubber band cannon
 1 rubber band (3 ½” x ¼”, which is 8.89cm x 0.635cm)
 1 tape measure or yard stick
 Open space
 Data sheet
 Pencil
**(Note to students & parents: List of all your materials needed to conduct your experiment
and their amounts in metric units {examples: grams [g], centimeters [cm], milliliters [mL],
Celcius [C], etc}. Be SPECIFIC.)**
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Procedures
1. Place a rubber band launcher on the flat ground in an open space.
2. Draw a chalk line around its base.
3. Lift the launcher and mark the box with your class and table number.
4. Place the launcher in the box and set the angle to 30 degrees.
5. Label and draw a picture of this angle on your data sheet.
6. Stretch a rubber band to the 20 cm mark and release.
7. Record the general path the rubber band took (right, left, or straight).
8. Measure and record the straight distance from the base of the launcher to
the rubber band’s landing point.
9. Repeat procedures #5- #7 four more time for a total of 5 trials.
10. Change the angle of launch to 50 degrees.
11. Label and draw a picture of this angle on your data sheet.
12. Follow procedures #5- #7 five times at this angle.
13. Change the angle of launch to 70 degrees.
14. Label and draw a picture of this angle on your data sheet.
15. Follow procedures #5- #7 five times at this angle.
16. Calculate and record the totals and averages for each angle tested.
**(Note to students & parents: Numbered, step-by-step description of how you conducted
your experiment. Be SPECIFIC. There should be approximately 10 – 20 steps.)**
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Qualitative Observations
Variable Tested: _______30___________
Trial #1 _______left_________
Illustration:
Trial #2 _____straight________
Trial #3 _______left_________
Trial #4 _____straight________
Trial #5 _____straight________
Variable Tested: _______50___________
Trial #1 _____straight________
Illustration:
Trial #2 __left, but bounced___
Trial #3 _______left_________
Trial #4 _______left_________
Trial #5 _____straight________
Variable Tested: _______70___________
Trial #1 _______left_________
Illustration:
Trial #2 _______left_________
Trial #3 _____straight________
Trial #4 ______right_________
Trial #5 _____straight________
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Quantitative Data
Data Table
Trial #
1
2
3
4
5
Total
30
50
70
630 cm
601 cm
351 cm
606 cm
602 cm
384 cm
615 cm
584 cm
317 cm
616 cm
587 cm
333 cm
602 cm
594 cm
311 cm
3069 cm
2968 cm
1696 cm
Average 613.8 cm 593.6 cm 339.2 cm
**(Note to students & parents: You can make a computer graph by selecting “Insert” from the
top menu bar, “Table”, then selecting the appropriate number of rows and columns.)**
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Graph of Results
Distance of Rubber Band at Different Angles
700
613.8
593.6
600
Distance Traveled (cm)
500
400
339.2
Average
300
200
100
0
30 degrees
50 degrees
70 degrees
Angle of Rubber Band Cannon Arm
**(Note to students & parents: Independent Variable goes on the horizontal axis and
Dependent Variable goes on the vertical axis. Don’t forget to label everything, it should have an
appropriate Title, and the Bars should not touch. On my website is a step-by-step “How to”
guide for creating a computer graph.)**
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Conclusion
My original hypothesis was that the 50 degree angle would shoot the
rubber band the farthest, followed by the 30 degree angle. I thought that the 70
degree angle would shoot the rubber band the shortest distance. I found out that
the first part of my hypothesis was incorrect. My data showed that the rubber
band went the furthest distance when shot from the 30 degree angle.
The reason this happened was because I think the rubber band shot at the
30 degree angle had less air friction. I think the first part of my hypothesis was
incorrect because I only thought of the 45 degree angle. When I re-read my
Background Research, I realized that at a 45 degree angle, Galileo only observed
that objects stay in the air longer; it doesn’t necessarily mean they will go farther
in distance forward.
I completely forgot to take into account that the rubber band shot at the 50
degree angle would be working harder against the force of gravity. It seemed so
obvious when I predicted the outcome for the 70 degree angle, but I didn’t even
consider it for the 50 degree angle. I focused too much on only one piece of my
research and I should have considered all the research from Galileo and Sir Isaac
Newton on forces and motion.
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I think air currents within the Multi Purpose Room affected my results. I
noticed that my rubber band went straighter more often at the 30 degree angle.
At the 50 and 70 degree angles, there was more of a discrepancy (problem) with
where my rubber band landed. Given that the rubber band was probably in the
air longer at the higher angles, having air currents affect their placement does not
surprise me.
In the future I would like to try my other variables. Now that I have a better
idea of which angle would shoot the rubber band the furthest, I would like to see
if I could maximize the distance by completing trials where I test the other two
independent variables I thought of in the beginning; pulling the rubber band back
to different distances before releasing and using different rubber band sizes. First
I would figure out a good combination of pull back and at a 30 degree angle. Then
I would like to try different size or types of rubber bands.
**(Note to students & parents: This is a 1 – 2 page summary of your project in which you
restate the Investigative Question and Hypothesis; explain whether or not experiment results
supported your Hypothesis or not; points our variables that may have affected your results; and
describes what you learned)**
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Applications
Many people, on many different levels, can use the knowledge from this
experiment. First, my sixth graders got to see how to complete a Science Fair
Project from start to finish. Although each class chose to observe a different
independent variable (angle, pull back, and type of rubber band), I think the
students can relate to this sample Science Fair experiment. They can see what we
did in class, how it is similar to this Notebook example, and how they can then
apply it to their own individual Science Fair Project. They also got to see first
hand the effects of outside forces, like wind, and how that can negatively affect
your data and the placement of a rubber band.
In addition, I think the physics demonstrated by this Project will be
memorable and useful in their future science classrooms and lives. I know I have
a better understanding of forces of gravity and the laws of motion, so I predict
they do as well. When they are in 8th grade and really focusing on the physical
sciences, hopefully they will remember some of what they learned from the
Background Research and Experiment.
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This whole process might also spark an area of interest they never
considered before. This Science Fair Project, and the one they are completing at
home, are exposing them to new ways of thinking and looking at the world
around them.
**(Note to students & parents: This is 1 -2 pages explaining how the information you learned
can be used by you or others.)**
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Student’s Name
Future Research
In the future I would like to try my other variables. Now that I have a better
idea of which angle would shoot the rubber band the furthest, I would like to see
if I could maximize the distance by completing trials where I test the other two
independent variables I thought of in the beginning; pulling the rubber band back
to different distances before releasing and using different rubber band sizes. First
I would figure out a good combination of pull back and at a 30 degree angle. Then
I would like to try different size or types of rubber bands.
**(Note to students & parents: One paragraph which describes how you would change your
investigation to improve its accuracy or how you would extend your experiment to make more
discoveries.)**
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the wonderful sixth grade students in Mrs. Kelly, Miss
Jackson, and Miss Uy’s 2012- 2013 classes. They brought smiling faces,
enthusiasm, and wonderful questions each day to Science Lab during this Science
Fair Project example. I would also like to thank Mrs. Annette Shoemaker and Ms.
Helen de la Maza for being amazing peers and teachers I could turn to for help
and advice. It was so nice to have other “science minds” to talk to and discuss
this project with. Finally, I would like to thank the teachers and staff of Meadow
Park Elementary School for allowing me to use the Multi Purpose Room for this
experiment and for being so supportive of the Science Fair.
**(Note to students & parents: One paragraph which describes how you would change your
investigation to improve its accuracy or how you would extend your experiment to make more
discoveries.)**
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Bibliography
Henderson, T. (01 January 2000) “Newton’s Laws of Motion”, The Physics
Classroom, 24 September 2012,
<http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/>
Lafferty, P. (1999) Force and Motion, New York City, New York, DK Publishing, Inc.
Page, D. (1993) Gravitation, The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, New York
City, New York, Grolier Incorporated
**(Note to students & parents: Alphabetical list of all the resources used to find Background
Research. You need to have a minimum of 3 total resources {1 book, 1 internet, and 1 your
choice].)**
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Appendices
Appendix A: Official Certificate forms (if needed)
Appendix B: Rough draft of Investigative Question and Introduction
Appendix C: Rough draft of Background Research, Bibliography, and Hypothesis
Appendix D: Online printouts and resources used
Appendix E: Rough draft of Materials and Procedures
Appendix F: Handwritten notes for Qualitative Observations and Quantitative
Data
Appendix G: Rough draft of Conclusion, Applications, Future Research, and
Acknowledgments
**(Note to parents: These are suggested Appendices. If your child doesn’t have all of these
items, that’s okay.)**
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