Paper Airplane Lab Experiment
Laurie Melanson
GMS 2006
Questions:

Have you flown a paper airplane before?
(Hopefully not in this class)

Do you always use the same type of paper?

Do you always use the same design?

Do you want it to fly straight or do tricks?
Introduction:
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We are going to design an experiment to
test paper airplane flight distance.
We want the planes to fly as far as they
can.
We need to think about how we are going
to design and perform the experiment.
What things do we need to think about?
(Think about the steps of the Scientific
Method)
Problem:

What question are we trying to answer?


We want to design an experiment to test
how the addition of paper clips will affect
the flight distance of the paper airplane.
How does adding paper clips to a paper
airplane affect its flight?
Hypothesis:

What do you think is going to happen?



How do you think the addition of paper
clips to the paper airplane affect its flight
distance?
Does the placement of the clips matter?
If paper clips are added to the _(location)_
of the paper airplane, then ___________
_________________________________.
Materials:

What do we need to perform this
experiment?

Make a list of materials:

Everything and anything we need to
carry out the experiment.
Procedure:

How are we going to perform the
experiment?







What do we need to do?
What needs to be kept constant?
What is our control?
What is our independent variable going to be?
Where are we going to perform the
experiment?
What are we going to observe? How?
This should be written as a list of
numbered steps.
Observations:


Data Table with
measurements from
the experiment.
Include headings
and labels.
# of paper
clips
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Flight
Distance (m)
Experiment Day
1.
2.
3.
4.
Get paper clips, lab notebook and a
meter stick.
Make the paper airplane. Make sure you
follow directions.
Gather materials and head out to your
assigned runway.
Fly your airplane, measure flight
distance, and record your data in your
notebook. Remember to add a paper
clip each time.
Lab Report Write Up

Must include:
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Click on the lab
notebook to see a
sample lab report




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
Questions: Answer the questions about the lab in
complete sentences.
Making a graph
of your data

Let’s review independent and
dependent variables.



The independent variable is what the
scientist changes during an experiment.
The dependent variable is what happens
due to what is changed.
Remember:
The growth of the
flower is
dependent upon
the amount of
water it receives.
Making the graph
Flight Distance (meters)
How adding paper clips
affectsa paper
1. Create
title. airplane
flight distance.
10
3. Determine
interval and label
for y-axis.
8
6
4. Plot your data.
4
5. Connect the data points.
2
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2. Determine
Number
interval
of paper
and label
clips for x-axis.
Conclusion:

What did you learn during the experiment?
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Does your data make sense?
Was your hypothesis correct? Explain why or
why not?
Did you do anything wrong?
Is there anything that you would have or
should have done differently?
Your conclusion should be 3 to 4
paragraphs long.
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is a control? What was the control in
this experiment?
What is a constant? What were the constants
in this experiment?
What is an independent variable? What was
the independent variable in this experiment?
What is a dependent variable? What was the
dependent variable in this experiment?
Should your results be the same as others?
Why or why not?
The answers to the questions must be in
complete sentences!
Use buttons to navigate
through the lab report
Return to
write-up page
Mrs. Melanson
Period 2, 3, 4 & 5
October 13, 2006
Introduction/ Purpose:
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 because the plane will weigh
more and not fly as far.
Return to
write-up page
Materials:
• paper
• masking tape
• 6 paper clips
• pencil or pen
• meter sticks
• marker
• notebook
Procedure:
1. Get paper and paper clips from table.
2. Make paper airplane following teacher’s directions.
3. Write your name on the airplane.
4. Gather notebook, writing utensil, meter sticks and
airplane and head out to your assigned runway.
5. Put down everything except your airplane.
6. Stand on the runway start line. Stand in the same place
each time.
Return to
write-up page
Procedure continued:
7. 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.
8. Measure the distance the airplane flew to the nose of the airplane
using the meter stick.
9. Record your data in your notebook and pick up your airplane. Also
record any problem you may have encountered. (Hitting people,
bending the nose)
10. Add a paper clip to the airplane. Make sure to add it to the same
place each time.
11. Repeat steps 6 – 11 for all 6 paper clips.
12. Pick up all of your materials and return to classroom.
13. Draw a picture of your airplane with the clips on it.
14. Return the meter sticks and paper clips and recycle your airplane.
Return to
write-up page
Observations:
During this experiment, the paper airplane with two paper clips
hit Suzie as she 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)
0
4.53
1
6.23
4
2
7.14
2
3
7.52
4
6.59
5
5.34
6
5.67
Airplane Flight
Distance (m)
Airplane Flight Distance with Paper Clips
Addition
8
6
0
0
1
2
3
4
Number of Paper Clips
Return to
write-up page
5
6
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 Suzie 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.
Return to
write-up page
Questions:
1. A control is ____________________________________. The
control in this experiment is ___________________
_____________________________________________.
2. A constant is something that ______________________ during an
experiment. The constant in this experiment is
_____________________________________________.
3. An independent variable is _________________________. The
independent variable in this experiment is __________
_______________________________________________.
4. A dependent variable is _________________________. The
dependent variable in this experiment is __________
_______________________________________________.
5. My results should be the same as everyone else because we used the
same paper and the same design.
Return to
write-up page