Origami Butterfly Flight Experiment
Create a paper butterfly and perform tests to see how the force of thrust, drag, gravity, the angle of attack and shape can affect how the paper butterfly flies.
What You Need
- 1 prefolded paper butterfly (if available)
- 2 sheets of coloured printer paper
- 4-6 paper clips
- 2 pieces of ribbon
- 4 blingy stickers
Guide:
Additional:
- Flying Paper Butterfly Video by Techno Kri Art
Safety Notes
Ensure you are familiar with Let's Talk Science's precautions with respect to safe virtual outreach to youth.
Do not launch your butterfly toward another person or animal.
What To Do
To make the butterflies
- Watch the video Flying Paper Butterfly Video by Techno Kri Art and follow the instructions to create your own paper butterflies.
Practice holding the butterfly by the bottom in the centre and throwing it. Keep practicing until you can easily throw it so it easily glides a short distance.
To test the butterflies
- Add more or less force when throwing the butterfly to see how far it can fly.
- Add stickers or paperclips to increase the weight of the butterfly to see how gravity affects how the butterfly can fly.
- Try launching the butterfly at different angles to see how the angle of attack affects how far the butterfly can fly.
- Add ribbons or more weight, or bend the wings to see how it affects how far the butterfly can fly.
Discovery
The force of thrust
The force of thrust (how hard or gentle the butterfly is thrown) pushes an object forward. Drag is the force that is caused by air/wind resistance, which is the air that pushes back against your paper butterfly as it flies through the air. The force of thrust has to be stronger than the force of drag for an object (i.e. paper butterfly) to move forward.
The force of gravity/weight
Gravity/weight is the force that pulls objects (like a paper butterfly) down to the ground. In planes, gravity/weight is the force that pulls down and lift is the force that pushes up and helps the plane get off the ground.
Angle of attack and shape
For airplanes, the angle of attack is involved in how airplanes take off. For the paper butterflies, the angle of attack is the angle that it is thrown.
Sometimes adding more weight can make the paper butterfly more stable or by bending the wings.
"It's a very exciting time to study how insects, like butterflies, fly- in fact, what we're learning about how insects fly is also helping us with making better flying machines like drones and microaerial vehicles." - Dr. Jeff Dawson, Associate Professor at Carleton University
What's Happening?
The force of thrust
The force of thrust (how hard or gentle the butterfly is thrown) pushes an object forward. Drag is the force that is caused by air/wind resistance, which is the air that pushes back against your paper butterfly as it flies through the air. The force of thrust has to be stronger than the force of drag for an object (i.e. paper butterfly) to move forward.
The force of gravity/weight
Gravity/weight is the force that pulls objects (like a paper butterfly) down to the ground. In planes, gravity/weight is the force that pulls down and lift is the force that pushes up and helps the plane get off the ground.
Angle of attack and shape
For airplanes, the angle of attack is involved in how airplanes take off. For the paper butterflies, the angle of attack is the angle that it is thrown.
Sometimes adding more weight can make the paper butterfly more stable or by bending the wings.
Why Does it Matter?
"It's a very exciting time to study how insects, like butterflies, fly- in fact, what we're learning about how insects fly is also helping us with making better flying machines like drones and microaerial vehicles." - Dr. Jeff Dawson, Associate Professor at Carleton University