Up, Up and Away Day 9 -- Types of Forces and Rubber Band Planes

Center for Talent Development Northwestern University Summer 2004, Session 1 S. Reed & C. Kalember, Instructors

Week 1 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Week 2 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Week 3 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15

Activity/Lab - In the morning we first discussed weight force and friciton.  We then considered the overall net force acting on an object, focusing on the forces on an airplane.  In the afternoon, we used our new knowledge of net force combined with Newton's laws to determine the lift force of a standard helium balloon. Building Project - The building project of the day was a rubber band propeller plane called the Delta Dart.  The planes were built and flown today! Gluing balsa wood pieces to a heavy tissue paper. Cutting out pieces ready for assembly. Balancing the propeller and picking the proper dihedral shape are very important. Making another design while waiting for the glue to dry. Preparing for launch. Up, up ... ... and away!