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Science · Drill 4

Science practice 4

15 questions ~9 min recommended
⏱ 00:00
Score
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Wing Curvature

Trial 1
Flat wings
Wings curved up
Wings curved down
Trial 2
Flat wings
Wings curved up
Wings curved down
Trial 3
Flat wings
Wings curved up
Wings curved down
Horizontal Distance (m)
9.5
10.2
9.1
10.4
10.3
9.9
10.8
10.6
10.8

Wingtip Position
Trial 1
Flat wingtips
Wingtips bent up
Wingtips bent down
Trial 2
Flat wingtips
Wingtips bent up
Wingtips bent down
Trial 3
Flat wingtips
Wingtips bent up
Wingtips bent down
Horizontal Distance (m)
10.6
12.4
3.2
11.1
12.9
3.5
10.9
12.8
3.3

Paperclip Position
Horizontal Distance (m)
Trial 1
No paperclips
Nose
Midwing
Tail
10.8
9.1
10.6
6.3
Trial 2
No paperclips
Nose
Midwing
Tail
10.7
9.4
10.5
6.2
Trial 3
No paperclips
Nose
Midwing
Tail
10.8
9.3
10.7
6.0

Four basic aerodynamic forces act on an airplane, whether it is a passenger jet or a model made of paper. Thrust is the forward force and drag is the backward force, both of which act parallel to the airplane's motion. Lift is the upward force that acts perpendicular to the airplane's motion. Gravity is the downward force.

Students performed three experiments to determine the effects of different physical modifications on the flying ability of paper airplanes. In each experiment, students used printer paper to create a set of identical paper dart planes. They then modified the airplanes' design to investigate the effect on flight distance.

In each experiment, a single student gently threw each airplane. A second student then measured the horizontal distance covered by each plane. The students performed each experiment three times for each airplane.

Experiment 1

Students created three identical paper airplanes. The first plane's flat wings were left unaltered. The second plane's wings were modified to curve upward in a U shape. The third plane's wings were modified to curve downward in an inverted U shape. The results are shown in Table 1.3.

TABLE 1.3 Airplane Wing Curvature Data

Experiment 2

Students created three identical paper airplanes. They left the first plane's flat wings unaltered. The second plane's wingtips were bent slightly upward. The third plane's wingtips were bent slightly downward. The results are shown in Table 1.4.

TABLE 1.4 Airplane Wingtip Position Data

Experiment 3

Students created four identical paper airplanes. The first plane remained unaltered. Two paperclips were placed on either side of the second plane's nose. Two paperclips were placed on either side of the third plane at midwing. Two paperclips were placed on either side of the fourth plane's tail. The results are shown in Table 1.5.

TABLE 1.5 Airplane Paperclip Position Data

1. Which aerodynamic force is the result of friction as an airplane moves through the air?

2. Which pair of aerodynamic forces directly oppose each other?

3. To keep a paper airplane in the air, the forces of thrust and lift:

4. Experiments 1 and 3 differed in the:

5. Which of the following statements about Experiment 1 is most accurate?

6. In Experiment 2, bending the wingtips slightly downward most likely increased the effect of which force?

7. Which condition represents the control group in Experiment 2?

8. Based on the data from Experiment 3, which paperclip placement had the least effect on flight distance?

9. Based on the data from the three experiments, which of the following is the approximate average horizontal distance traveled by an unaltered airplane?

10. Which modification had the most positive effect on airplane performance?

11. A student produces the graph shown in Figure 1.2. This graph best represents the data contained in:


Figure 1.2

12. An object's center of gravity identifies the average location of the object's weight. In which experiment did students alter the center of gravity of the paper airplanes?

13. Which modification changed an airplane's average horizontal distance the most?

14. In Table 1.3, the horizontal distance of each individual airplane is shown to increase with each subsequent trial. The most reasonable explanation for this trend is that the:

15. Based on the data from the three experiments, which combination of features would be expected to produce the longest flight?

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