The Paper Airplane Lab

Name:______________________________________
The Paper Airplane Lab
In class, you learned that the scientific method allows you to solve problems through focused trial and
error. In this lab, you will be using the scientific method to figure out how to make an airplane that flies
farther than anybody else’s.
Prelab:
List the six steps of the scientific method in order:
Procedure:
1. Make a paper airplane of the type you are most familiar with. With your lab partner, throw the
airplane five times and use a meter stick to measure how far the airplane goes each time you
throw it. Your measurement must be in centimeters (cm) (1 meter = 100 cm).
*In order to avoid adding any additional variables to the experiment, one person should be
responsible for throwing the plane and the other should be responsible for making
measurements.
Distance of throw 1: __________________
Distance of throw 2: __________________
Distance of throw 3: __________________
Distance of throw 4: __________________
Distance of throw 5: __________________
Average distance of all five throws: __________________ (add up all 5 distances and
divide by 5. Show your
work)

2. Now make a guess about what might make the paper airplane fly farther. This could include an
alteration in the plane’s design, a different method of throwing it, or any other change you can
think of. You may change whatever you like, but remember to only change one thing. In the
spaces below, write down how you think that you can get a better flight distance using the
scientific method.
Purpose Statement (What is the goal of your experiment):
Hypothesis (Write in an “if/then” format):
Material (Include everything you used):
Procedure for making your plane: Discuss the steps it took to fold your plane as well as the
procedure for throwing your plane
Results:
Distance of throw 1: __________________
Distance of throw 2: __________________
Distance of throw 3: __________________
Distance of throw 4: __________________
Distance of throw 5: __________________
Average distance of all five throws: ______________ (Show your work below)

Analysis/Conclusion: How did the changes you made affect your results Make sure to reference specific
data from your trials. This section should include specific details from your experiment and be at least
three sentences in length. Make sure to include at least two potential errors in your experiment.
Analysis Questions: You must answer all of the following questions using complete sentences
1. Was your hypothesis disproved or confirmed Explain using the data you obtained in your
experiment.
2. Explain why it was important that you change only one variable between your initial experiment
and your later experiment.
3. If you were to perform this experiment again, what changes would you make This can include
changes in your procedure, the design of your plane, or anything else you wish to discuss.
4. When working in the lab, scientists do not necessarily follow the steps of the scientific method in
a certain order. What changes would you make to the scientific method if you were a scientist
working in a lab