Airplane Wing Investigation

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This activity (located on page 3 of the PDF under GPS: Balloon Fiesta Activity) is a full inquiry investigation into Bernoulli’s principle and airplane wings. Learners will design and build their own airplane wing models out of Styrofoam, record their mass, and then use a fan to measure the “weight” change when air flows over the wing. Results from testing other wing shapes and sizes are then measured to chart relationships between lift and wing size and shape. Relates to linked video, DragonflyTV GPS: Balloon Fiesta.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • blocks of Styrofoam
  • a Styrofoam cutter (available at craft stores)
  • craft or popsicle sticks
  • modeling clay
  • a digital scale capable of measuring in grams
  • a box fan

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Aerospace Engineering
      • Transportation Engineering
    • Technology
      • Transportation
  • Mathematics
    • Data Analysis and Probability
      • Data Analysis
      • Data Collection
      • Data Representation
    • Geometry
    • Measurement
      • Units of Measurement
    • Representation
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance
  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
      • Work and Machines
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
      • Projectile Motion
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Model Building
  • Toys
  • Transportation

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2007

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 610429