Weight α (terminal velocity) 2 x area
If weight is constant:
Area α 1 .
(terminal velocity) 2
PREDICTIONS:
using this scientific evidence, I have made the following predictions:
1 I predict that the number of paperclips (or weight) is directly proportional to the terminal velocity squared
2 I predict that the area of the wings is directly
proportional to
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
To ensure that my experiment is carried out safely and to prevent any unnecessary accidents, I have devised the following safety precautions:
Be careful with scissors
Do not drop helicopters over others
Protect eyes
Do not run on balcony
Do not push others on balcony
HELICOPTERS:
Variable 1:
When I change the amount of paperclips on my helicopter, I plan to use one helicopter with a combined wing area of 8cm2
(4cm x 2cm). I shall first use only 1 paperclip and then increase by 1, until I am using 6 paperclips. I shall take 2 repeats of each time, so I will have 3 times in total.
Variable 2:
When I vary the area of the wings on my helicopters, I plan to use six different helicopters each weighted by 4 paperclips. The width of the wings shall remain constant at 2cm. The first helicopter shall have wing length of 2cm and then I will increase the length by 1cm until the length is 7cm (total area of 14 cm2). I shall take 2 repeats of each time, so I will have 3 times in total.
RESULTS:
Variable 1:
Variable 2:
GRAPHS:
Variable 1:
Variable 2:
ANALYSIS:
After carrying out my helicopter experiment and plotting my graphs, I m confident that my results are consistent with my predictions. My first prediction, that weight is directly proportional to terminal velocity squared is justified by Newton’s Law of Drag that says that weight is proportional to terminal velocity squared x area (in my experiment area was constant, so weight is proportional to Vt2). My second prediction that area of the helicopter wings is directly proportional to 1/ (terminal velocity) 2, is also justified by Newton’s Law of Drag that says that if weight is constant (which it was in my experiment) area is proportional to 1/ (terminal velocity) 2. As all of the points on my straight-line graphs were close to the trend line, I can be confident that my results are correct.
EVALUATION:
There are a number of factors that could have influenced my results, including inaccurate measuring and timing, convection currents and parallax errors. I did not find any extremely anomalous results, although not all of them fitted exactly onto my lines of best fit. I do not feel that my measuring or timing were inaccurate, but there may have been a constant parallax errors and/or convection currents. Ideally, in future experiments of this nature, I would work in a lab with fewer people (so less heat) and no updraft, so as to keep convection currents to a minimum. I would also have more accurate timing methods, so as to prevent parallax errors.
