To investigate the fall of a helicopter, when you change the variables and the change it makes to the time the helicopter takes to fall.

Fair Test:

I will make this experiment a fair test by making sure that every time I do it I keep the variables the same except from the one that I am changing and that is the amount of paperclips I use, I will make sure that the helicopter is kept exactly the same, the same paper and the same length and width of the stem and the wings. I will make sure the helicopter is dropped at 2 meters every time and that the paperclips are the same size and weigh 0.63 grams.

I will use the same equipment to time and measure the distance and the height that the helicopter is measured from

Apparatus:

Net of the helicopter

Plain paper to make the helicopter

Ruler to help make the helicopter, and to measure the length of the paperclips.

Set of scales, to measure the weight of the paperclips

6 paperclips

Metre ruler to measure the height that I will drop the helicopter from.

Safety:

• To ensure that this experiment is safe and that there is no danger, you should make sure that:
• All chairs are tucked away under the table and not in the way.
• Nobody should sit down during the experiment.
• All equipment is used safely and carefully
• There is no messing around during the experiment
• Long hair should be tied back
• When measuring the height in which the helicopter is dropped don’t stand on chairs, use a bigger ruler.
• Make sure everything is left safely and where it should be.

Method:

1. Collect equipment on the list.
2. Using the plain paper, scissors, ruler and net make the helicopter.
3. Weigh the first paper clip, and then attach it to the stem of the helicopter.
4. Using the metre ruler, measure 2 metres from the ground and get ready to drop the helicopter.
5. Get somebody else then to time with a stop clock the time the helicopter to fall from your hands and reach the floor.
6. Then once again repeat it but with 1 more paperclip added to the stem, but making sure that the paperclip is the same size and weight as the other paperclip.
7. Once again time the length of time the helicopter takes to fall from 2 metres and then record it.
8. Repeat this until eventually you have 6 paperclips on the stem of the helicopter and 6 sets of results.

9. Then draw a diagram of the experiment and plot a                 graph.

Equipment List:

Diagram of experiment:

Graph of results:

Trial runs:

Observations:

When I did my trial runs I observed the helicopter as it fell, I noticed that it fell quite straight, that it span as it fell, that it span anti-clockwise, it started spinning quite fast but slowed down as it got lower to the ground, and that it didn’t fall about very much a normally landed quite up right.

Results:

Conclusion:

In doing this experiment I have proved my prediction to be correct, that the more paperclips I added to the stem of the helicopter the more rapidly the helicopter fell to the ground.

I tried to do some more observation as I was adding more paperclips but I got awkward when it was falling so quickly but I did notice that it started to rotate faster, as I added more paperclips so it was accelerating at a quicker speed.

Evaluation:

When I did my experiment nothing went wrong and it all went according to plan, it was quite easy to record, but as u can imagine when it was falling in less than a second you had to be quick to stop the stop clock, so it maybe a few mille seconds out, but it is pretty much 100% accurate.

There was quite a few variables I could of changed the length and width of the stem a wings, but I thought it would have been difficult if I had to remake a helicopter every time and same with different types of paper.

There were no anomalies everything went fine.

If I wanted to extend my experiment I could do it a lot more times using more paperclips but still making sure that they are the same length and width, so as not to make it an unfair test.