Paper Airplanes and Variables
Will additional weight added to a paper airplane effect the distance that it will fly? That was the scientific question Mr. Mac's science classes attempted to answer by using the scientific method in the course of our investigation. Students focused primarily on identifying the variables in this experiment, which can be very tricky for students of all ages to understand.
The controlled variables refer to the items that did not change between the two groups, the base line group and the experimental groups: the design of the airplane, the weight of the paper, and the location, the north hallway in Bennet Elementary School. The manipulated variable -- the one item that did change among the groups -- in our experiment was the weight, the paper clips, added to the paper airplanes. The responding variable, when the base line group was compared to the experimental group, answered the question, "What happened as a result of the manipulation?" Answer: The distance of the planes increased to a point, and then decreased.
