The Science of Defying Gravity by L.G. Reed

Author:L.G. Reed
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: STEM, science, engineering, friendship, space
Publisher: Keyes Canyon Press
Published: 2020-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

T-MINUS 8 DAYS

Brad had football practice the next day, so he wasn’t home. Cassie left her bedroom door open and enjoyed the fresh air. Mark asked her to play, but she told him to scram. She had important work to do. His downturned mouth tugged at her heart, but she focused. He wasn’t a bad kid, just too easily influenced by Brad. Maybe he’d turn out okay if she spent more time with him. But not right now. Right now, she had to focus on Space Camp! Nothing but Space Camp!

After a day away from her research paper, she was able to see where she needed more words to describe the science, what needed revision, and what to cut out. When it was in good shape, she printed it, punched holes in it, and placed it in the three-ring notebook she’d borrowed from her Dad. Luckily the notebook came with tabs, which she labeled with the parts of a science fair project: title, abstract, table of contents, research, materials list, experimental procedure, data analysis, conclusions, bibliography. Seeing all the empty sections gave her the jitters. But when she was able to add the printout of her title page, outline, and abstract, it made her feel like she’d finished something. Not everything, for sure, but a good start.

The next empty tab was the table of contents, but she decided to do that last and moved on to the materials list.

Experiment Needs:

1. Two different weights of paper: regular printer paper and card stock like used in a manila folder

2. Painter’s tape to mark the starting line

3. Tape measure

4. Paper clips

5. Scissors

6. Notebook, pens, paper

7. Calculator and/or computer

Not a high-budget project, but since her dad had lost his job, the whole family had cut back. Cassie was proud to have found a science project that didn’t require her to buy anything. Hopefully it wouldn’t look cheap.

That section done, she moved to the next empty tab—experimental procedure.

Experiment Steps

1. Search the Internet for a dart paper-airplane template

2. Fold three sheets of each weight of paper into airplanes—note: don’t fold up the ends of the wings. Should have 6 paper airplanes, 3 of printer paper and 3 of card stock

3. Practice throwing the airplanes to get the wrist action down

4. Throw each airplane five times and record the distance

5. Attach a paper clip to the wing of each airplane along the back edge

6. Repeat throwing each airplane and recording the distance

7. Remove the paper clip and fold up the ends of the wings at ninety-degree angles one-half inch from the edge

8. Repeat throwing each airplane and recording the distance in your table

9. Calculate the average for each paper airplane

10. Evaluate whether the hypothesis was confirmed or not. If yes, why? If no, why? What effect did the heavier paper have on distance? Why?

So far this was going better than she expected. She’d done more than she realized. Documenting it in the proper format helped her see how it all connected and made sense.

Her next empty tab made her stomach lurch, though.

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