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Paper Airplane Fair Test

Add weight to the nose of a paper airplane and measure how it changes the distance it flies.

Grade 6ExperimentScience OlympiadScienceEngineeringPhysicsData AnalysisMeasurementIntermediate45 to 60 min5 materials

What you'll learn

  • Identify the changed, measured, and controlled variables
  • Collect repeated measurements and find the mean
  • Use evidence to support a conclusion about flight

Objective

Run a fair test to find how nose weight changes how far a paper airplane flies, and analyze the data with averages.

STEM concepts

LiftWeightThrust and dragCenter of massControlled variables
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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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