Name: Date: January, 2025
Subject: Physics Activity
Class: Grade 7 Topic: Fiction Force
Racing Wings
Background Information:
A race team is looking to change the design of the wing on the back of their formula 1 car to
reduce the amount of drag created by the wing on the rear of the car. Drag occurs as air moves
past a solid surface limiting the cars ability to reach its maximum speed.
Aim: To investigate the length of the wing size and drag.
Pre-lab Questions:
1. Define the term drag (search online for it)
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Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun Grade 7 2024 - 2025
2. Write a hypothesis which describes the relationship between drag and wing size.
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Activity area set up:
Time allowance: 30 minutes
Equipment needed:
1. stopwatch 3. paper clip
2. paper helicopters (see resource page) 4. meter ruler
Method:
1. Cut out and assemble the four helicopters from the resource page according to the
instructions.
2. Attach a paper clip to one of the helicopters.
3. One group member holds the helicopter with the paperclip at a height of 2 meters with
the paperclip end pointing towards the floor.
4. Release the helicopter and time how long it takes to reach the ground.
5. Record your results in the table.
6. Repeat three times before testing helicopters of other wing lengths.
Results:
Drop time
Wingspan Average time Average
(s)
(cm) (s) speed (ms-1)
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3
Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun Grade 7 2024 - 2025
Post-Lab Tasks:
1. Answer the questions that follow:
a. Order the wings based on their drop time.
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b. Outlying data is data which does not fit within the pattern of the data. Identify any
outlying data in your experiment.
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c. How does the presence of an outlier affect the overall trend shown?
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d. Describe how you could treat outlying data if it were present in your tests.
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Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun Grade 7 2024 - 2025
2. Graph the average drop time from 2 meters in relation to wingspan in the space below.
Place time on the x-axis.
3. Use your graph to predict the speed of a helicopter with a wingspan of 3.5cm
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4. Formulate a conclusion
Use your data to write a conclusion which answers your hypothesis for this lab:
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Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun Grade 7 2024 - 2025
Resource Page:
Instructions:
1. Carefully cut out around the outside of each T-shaped helicopter
along the solid lines.
2. Make a smaller cut where the scissors () symbol indicates. DO
NOT CUT COMPLETELY
3. Fold along the dashed lines.
4. Attach paper clip to the base.
Mr. Charbel Abou Maroun Grade 7 2024 - 2025
