Lab activity for 8/20

1. Name: __________________ Date: ___________________
Period: __________________
Whirly-Gig Experiment
Planning Sheet
1. What question will you be investigating and answering w/ this experiment?
2. State your group’s prediction about the effect the change has on the fall of the
Whirly-Gig.
3. Variable Identification: Which part of the Whirly Gig will you be changing during
your experiment?
4. How will you actually, physically change the variable?
5. During the experiment, how will you control or keep constant:
a. Other parts of the whirly gig?
b. Conditions in the testing area?
c. Investigation tools and measurements?
6. Write a procedure, in a numbered list, to conduct the experiment, including:
a. How you set up the whirly gig?
b. How you will drop it?
c. How you will measure its performance?
d. How you will keep track of data and determine if the data can be trusted?

2. Hints for altering the experiment:
• Does cutting the wings of the spinner to be shorter have an effect in the speed or
manner in which it falls?
• Does altering the number of paperclips on the whirly gig change the outcome?
• Do pieces of paper that are different shapes change the speed in which the whirly gig
falls?
• How else can you change the way your spinner falls?