Your teacher will show you a paper helicopter falling.

It is your task to plan and carry out a

full investigation to Investigate a factor that affects to time it takes the helicopter to fall
to the ground.

Design Aspect 1: defining the problem and selecting variables.

Task 1: Chose an independent variable to test. State the research question including
your independent and dependant variables.

Task 2: Identify all the other variables that may have a significant affect on your
investigation. Put these under a heading ‘Control Variables’.

Aspect 2 & 3: Controlling variables & developing a method for data collection

Task 3: Select the apparatus you will need and include a diagram if necessary.

Task 4: Plan a step by step method, include the following points.

 What range will you use for you independent variable?

 How will you control all other variables?
 What values will you use for the control variables?
 Exactly how will you measure the dependant variable?

Your plan should be able to be followed exactly by anyone who reads it, so be explicit.

WIS Physics
 Data Collection and Processing

Aspect 1: data collection

Design a neat data table to record your raw data.

Remember to include appropriate uncertainties.

Aspect 2: processing raw data

Process your raw data in a form that allows you to plot a suitable graph in order to
answer the research question. Remember to include uncertainties in your
processed data and error bars on your graph.

Aspect 3: presenting processed data

Plot a neat graph with correct scales and labeled axes. Use your graph to produce a
trend line.

Conclusion and Evaluation

Aspect 1: concluding.

State the relationship between the dependant and independent variable.

What evidence do you have that suggests the relationship you have chosen?
You should discuss the relevance of the uncertainties or systematic errors here.
Does your evidence match what you could have predicted?
Discuss any variation from what is predicted.
Discuss any relevant data that you can obtain from the graph.
Justify any data stated with theory.

Aspect 2: evaluating procedure

Use a few lines to discuss the quality of your results.

Evaluate the weaknesses and limitations in your experiment.
How significant is each weakness?

Aspect 3: improving the investigation

Discuss how you would improve the weakness and limitations in your experiment.
State exactly what could be done to make the improvements.

WIS Physics