1. The Case of the Paper Airplane
The Scientific Method
The Case of the Paper Airplane

2. Purpose
This is a short story that explains a problem that you have and would like to find an answer to.
I was sitting in science class and needed to get a note from one end of the room to the other without it falling into the hands of the teacher.

3. Question
Ask yourself a question that you will work to find the answer to.
Which airplane design will produce the longest flight?

4. Hypothesis What do you think will happen?
I believe that airplane design #1 will fly the farthest because of the sleek design and long wing span.

5. Materials
List all of the materials that you will need to run your experiment.
1) 3 sheets of paper
2) meter stick

6. Procedure
List the steps you used to run the experiment (be detailed so someone else could replicate it)
1) Make 3 different paper airplane designs
2) Throw the paper airplanes with the same force three times per plane and record the results by measuring with the meter stick
3) Find the average flight distance for each plane

7. Data and Results (Table, graph, explanation)
Plane
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Average
Plane 1
Plane 2
Plane 3

8. Data and results (continued)
Plane #1 flew and average of 5.6 m, plane #2 averaged 7.8 m, and plane #3 averaged 2 m.

9. Variables
Independent Variable – Tell the one thing that was changed in the experiment. The plane design was the one thing that was changed in the experiment.
Dependent Variable – Tell how the change was measured.
The change was measured from plane to plane by measuring the distance of the flight.

10. Conclusion
Tell what you learned from the experiment and whether it matches your hypothesis
Based on the results from my experiment, plane #1 did not fly the farthest which means my hypothesis was incorrect. Plane #2 went the farthest and would be the best design to use if I wanted to pass a note over a long distance.

11. Research information
Research anything that relates to your topic and report back. Try a google search using keywords that relate to the experiment.
This information needs to be read and put into your own words! One or two paragraphs should be enough for a good summary of the information.
Topics might include
*Paper airplane designs
*History of airplanes
*Aerodynamics