Grade 6: Flight Experiment Work Sheets

Analyzing One Force per Lesson

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
2 books or blocks of the same size.
1 sheet of paper.
1 straw.
Table.

Procedure:
1. Place the two books/blocks on the table approximately 10 cm apart.
2. Lay the sheet of paper lengthwise across the top of the books creating a
bridge between the books.
3. Use the straw to blow as hard as you can just under the edge of the paper.
4. Record your observations.
5. Tidy up your area.
Lab Two: Exploring Lift with Funnels &
Ping-Pong Balls
Lift is the force that pushes up on an airplane, gives it the ability to climb into the air, and stay up in the
air during flight.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
Funnels of different sizes.
Ping- Pong balls.

Procedure:
1. Pick up the funnel and turn it upside town.
2. Put the Ping- Pong ball in the funnel, and hold it with your finger.
3. Blow fairly hard and steady into the funnel as you take your finger off the ball.
Keep blowing into the funnel.
4. Record your observations.
5. Tidy up your area.
Lab Three: Exploring Lift with Angle of
Attack
Lift is the force that pushes up on an airplane, gives it the ability to climb into the air, and stay up in the
air during flight.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.
SAFTEY Fan stays on the ground at all times. Do not stick your fingers in the
fan. Do not move the fan while it is running.

Materials:
Shallow box.
Target.
Ping- Pong balls.
Fan.

Procedure:
1. Practice rolling the Ping- Pong balls down the length of the box, aiming at a
target.
2. Turn on the fan.
3. Attempt to hit the target with the wind resistance.
4. Experiment with the box at different angels, while trying to hit your target.
5. Record your observations.
6. Tidy up your area.
Lab One: Exploring Drag Paper
Challenge
Drag is the force that pushes against an airplane and slows it down. The shape of an airplane affects
the amount of drag. Airplanes that have a sleek, trim shape can cut through the air with minimal drag,
thus having better flight performance. All moving objects (humans, cars, trucks, birds) experience drag.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
2 Sheets of paper.

Procedure:
6. Crumple one sheet of paper into a ball.
7. Stand and hold the paper ball in one hand and a normal sheet of paper in the other
hand. Hold your hands at the same height.
8. Drop the papers at the same time, making sure they are dropped from the same
height.
9. Record what happens.
Lab Two: Exploring Drag - Parachuting
Drag is the force that pushes against an airplane and slows it down. The shape of an airplane affects
the amount of drag. Airplanes that have a sleek, trim shape can cut through the air with minimal drag,
thus having better flight performance. All moving objects (humans, cars, trucks, birds) experience drag.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
Paper.
Ping Pong balls.
String.
Tape.

Procedure:
6. Hold the ping pong ball with the parachute and the normal ping pong ball at an
equal height.
7. Drop them both at the same time.
8. Investigate the drop at different heights.
9. Record what happens.
Lab One: Exploring Thrust with Paper
& Bottle
Thrust is the force that propels a flying machine in the direction of motion. Engines
produce thrust.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
2L Plastic pop bottles.
Scrap paper.

Procedure:
10.Crush a small piece of paper into a ball smaller than the opening of a pop
bottle.
11.Lay the bottle on its side, and put the paper ball just inside the mouth of the
bottle.
12.Try to blow the ball into the bottle without putting your lips on the mouth of the
bottle.
13.Record your observations.
Lab Two: Exploring Thrust with
Catapults
Thrust is the force that propels a flying machine in the direction of motion. Engines
produce thrust.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
Popsicle sticks.
Elastic bands.
Plastic Spoons.
Small Balls.

Procedure:
10. Place the three catapults at the end of the cardboard, facing the targets.
11. Make sure the catapults are spaced out evenly.
12. Put the balls on the catapults and try to hit the targets at the end of the
cardboard.
13. What is different about all three catapults, and why do you think this is so?
Record your observations
Lab One: Exploring Gravity Coin Slide
Gravity is a natural force of the earth that pulls down on all objects. All objects stay on the ground
because of gravity. For an airplane to fly, the upward force of lift must be greater than the downward
force of gravity.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
4 different coins (nickel, dime, quarter, dollar).
1 ruler.

Procedure:
14.Place all the coins along the ruler.
15.Carefully, hole the ruler up off the table. Hold it fairly high, but not over your
head.
16.Tilt the ruler so that all the coins fall at the same time. Will you be able to make
them fall at the same time?
17.Record your observations.
Lab Two: Exploring Gravity with
Various Balls
Gravity is a natural force of the earth that pulls down on all objects. All objects stay on the ground
because of gravity. For an airplane to fly, the upward force of lift must be greater than the downward
force of gravity.

Remember to:
Read the entire activity first.
Make a hypothesis about what will happen.
Proceed with the investigation. Make sure everyone has a turn.
Record your observations.

Materials:
A variety of balls of different sizes and different weight.

Procedure:
14. Drop two different balls from the same height at the same time.
15. Repeat the experiment with new pairs of balls.
16. How will you ensure that the balls are released at the exact same time?
17. Do the balls land on the floor at the same time? Why or why not?
18. Record your observations.