Paper Plane Distance Experiment: Power & Energy Calculation

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around an experiment involving a mechanical paper plane thrower designed to calculate the power and energy required to launch paper planes over various distances. Participants explore the relationship between the weight of the planes, the energy used, and the distance traveled, while seeking appropriate equations to quantify these relationships.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their experimental setup, including the specifications of the paper planes and the mechanics of the thrower.
  • Another participant asks for clarification on the gsm parameter, confirming it refers to grams per square meter of the paper used.
  • There is a suggestion that two separate formulas may be needed for different weights of paper planes to calculate power and energy.
  • One participant questions whether it is necessary to have separate formulas, proposing that varying the weight should be incorporated into a single equation to find power.
  • A later reply introduces the idea of calculating power by dividing work by the time taken, while noting that the distance a glider flies is influenced by its aerodynamics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether separate equations are needed for different weights or if a single equation can accommodate varying weights. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to calculate power and energy.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not reached consensus on the appropriate equations to use, and there are unresolved aspects regarding the integration of weight and distance in the calculations.

Timizorzom
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Hi,

I'm doing an experiment to get my silver CREST award, in which I've created a mechanical paper plane thrower. I have thrown various types of plane, but all with the same design. The thrower uses a 9V battery, but is more like 6 now. The thrower has two motors, each which take 70mA. The thrower throws consistently with a percentage difference of each throw being <3%, and each plane spends around 0.3s on the launcher before leaving its grasp.

My results are as follows:
A4 75gsm plane weighing 4.7g travels 4.37m
A4 60gsm plane weighing 3.8g travels 3.33m
A5 75gsm plane weighing 2.4g travels 3.80m
A5 60gsm plane weighing 1.9g travels 2.20m

I am trying to find the number of joules each plane takes to get x meters, by finding the j/kg. The j/kg should give me m^2/s^2 which would enable me to work out the power required to throw a 1ton aluminium plane for 1km.
However, no matter how hard i try, i cannot get the equation to work for more than 1 value at a time.

Can anyone come up with an appropriate equation to work out power or energy from distance, weight and other measurable variables?
 
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What is the gsm parameter? grams per square metre of the paper?
 
Yes. i have put the weight next to it anyway just for reference.
 
Well, you should have two formulae, one for each weight.
airplanes.png

OK, hm. You want two parameters, weight and gsm.
 
Should i?
I want to be able to vary the weight to find the power. Surely i would have to fit it in the same equation?
 
To get power, you might divide work (the distance the launcher arm moves multiplied by the integral with respect to time of force as a function of time) by 0.3 s.

The distance a glider flies (for a given amount of work) varies depending, in part, on its aerodynamics.
 
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