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Flying on Paper!


Discover the best conditions for Frisbee distance flying!
Main Activity

By graphing the results of various tosses you will be able to calculate the average distance you can make a Frisbee fly and discover the best conditions for distance flying.
Materials:

* Frisbee
* Tape measure
* Paper
* Pencil

1. Divide your class into equal teams. Take turns throwing the Frisbee.
2. Measure the distance from where you began to toss the Frisbee to where it hits the ground. Record your distances in a log.
3. After everyone has recorded the distances of a few tries, calculate the average distance of your team's throws.
4. Compare your average to the other teams. Record the averages in your log and create a graph to represent your data.
Questions


What caused the Frisbee to fly the farthest? The shortest?
2. What could be done to improve the flight of the Frisbee? Experiment with your ideas to see if you can make it fly farther.
3. What would the best weather conditions be for distance flying? How might strong winds affect the distance a Frisbee could fly? Why?

Learn more about the three axes of motion. Stand with your arms extended straight out from your sides like the wings of a plane. Bend over at the waist and then bend backwards to imitate pitch. Lean your body from side to side to simulate a roll. Now rotate or twist your body at the waist to do a yaw. What other moves can you imitate? Which ones are the hardest to do?

Find out about the similarities and differences between a Frisbee and an airplane. What makes heavier than air devices like helicopters, jets, single engine planes and rockets lift? Build a paper airplane and fly it. What physical forces affect its flight?

What would it be like if you were a Frisbee? Would you like to live on a Frisbee or travel around the world on one? Write a story about the kinds of experiences you might have. What would you do if there was a strong storm coming? How would you navigate?

Invite a couple friends to help you calculate the velocity and acceleration of a Frisbee toss. Take turns acting as the time keeper, data recorder and tosser. Use a stop watch to time how long the Frisbee is in the air and a tape measure to determine the distance it travels. Record the data from each toss. Try calculating different kinds of throws like ones into the wind, with the wind and across the wind. Which direction works best? Does a fast flying Frisbee travel farther than a slower one?