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Paper Helicopter Rotor Test

Make a spinning paper helicopter and test how blade length changes how long it takes to fall.

Grade 5BuildExperimentEngineeringSciencePhysicsEngineeringMeasurementBeginner35 to 55 min6 materials

What you'll learn

  • Explain how a spinning rotor slows a fall
  • Time a drop several times and average
  • Change one variable at a time

Objective

Build paper helicopters and measure how blade length and weight change their fall time.

STEM concepts

Air resistanceRotors and spinGravityFair testing
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Materials and safety
Step-by-step instructions
Prediction, test sheet and results
Why does it work, challenge and project report

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