08-22-2022
Purpose: To study how fast the whirly bird descends under different weight.
Hypothesis: With added weight from the paperclip the whirlybird will increase its downward speed.
Procedure:
From standing on a stool I will drop the whirlybird from a height of 170 cm and time its descents. I will drop it on its own several times as well as with a small paperclip attached to its bottom several times.
Table 1: WhirlyBird fall(s) on its own from a height of 170cm with no added weight
| Trial | Time (sec) | Speed (cm/s) |
| 1 | 1.6 | 106.25 |
| 2 | 1.4 | 121.4 |
| 3 | 1.3 | 130.7 |
| Average | 1.4 | 119.45 |
Table 2: WhirlyBird drop(s) with a small paperclip attached to the bottom
| Trial | Time (sec) | Speed (cm/s) |
| 1 | 1.1 | 151.54 |
| 2 | 1.1 | 1.51.54 |
| 3 | 1.1 | 1.51.54 |
| Average | 1.1 | 1.51.54 |
Notes:
On the trials with the paperclip it would drop straight down and begin to spin only at the end of the fall. Because it wasn’t spinning as much with the added weight it dropped at a faster speed.
I was surprised by how consistent the results for the whirly bird drop with added paperclip were.
I was able to alter the rotational rate by shortening its wings, causing it to appear to rotate faster. The longer its wings were, the slower it appeared to rotate.
When I flipped the fold direction of the whirlybirds wings it would change the direction of its spin. I tested this by writing clockwise on the side of paper that pointed up when it spun so and counterclockwise on top of the side of paper that spun so. Changing its spin direction had no effect on its drop speed and they had the exact same average.
Significance:
The WhirlyBird motions reminded me of a helicopter and how when dealing with air resistance the weight of the object affects its speed. A natural object it reminds me of is a maple seed.