Paper Spinners
Learn about air resistance and experiment with paper spinners!
What You Need
- 1 Paper Spinner Template (from science-sparks.com)
- 1 piece of coloured printer paper
- 1 piece of cardstock
- 4 paper clips
- Scissors
Guide:
Safety Notes
Ensure you are familiar with Let's Talk Science's precautions with respect to safe virtual outreach to youth.
What To Do
To Make the Spinner
- Cut the spinner template along the solid black lines.
- Carefully cut along the dotted lines (be careful not to cut all the way to the end of the paper).
- Bring the two 'loose' corners together as in the photo (see guide) and put a paper clip on them to hold them together. This is the spinner!
Launch the spinner by throwing it in the air. Does it spin? If it doesn't, hold it high above your head with the paper clip facing the floor and drop it again.
Experiment
Use the extra printer paper and cardstock to design some tests/experiments. Make sure to only make one change (one variable) to make it a fair test.
- Use the cardstock to make another spinner (make sure it is the same size as the original spinner).
- Does it still spin?
- Make a bigger or smaller spinner using the same type of paper.
- Does this change how the spinner spins?
- Add some paper clips to one paper spinner and compare it to how a spinner of the same size.
- How does the extra weight affect how the spinner spins?
Discovery
The spinner falls because the force of gravity pulls it down to the ground. It falls fairly slowly because there are molecules or particles in the air that push against the paper as it falls. This is drag or air resistance, and this causes the spinner to slow down. The spinner spins because it have different surfaces for the air to push on and pushes one surface one way while pushing another surface another way and this causes the spinning.
What's Happening?
The spinner falls because the force of gravity pulls it down to the ground. It falls fairly slowly because there are molecules or particles in the air that push against the paper as it falls. This is drag or air resistance, and this causes the spinner to slow down. The spinner spins because it have different surfaces for the air to push on and pushes one surface one way while pushing another surface another way and this causes the spinning.
Resources
Guide:
Additional: