Page 9 - Abstract Booklet-TRiO 2020 Virtual Explorations

in the direction of the motion, and it can be created with a propeller, jet engine, or rocket. Air is pulled in and

then pushed out in an opposite direction like a household fan. Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction
of motion. Drag tends to slow an object. Drag is caused by friction and differences in air pressure. Drag is the

feeling you have when you wave your hand outside of a window in a moving car and feel the air push you hand.
Drag from the air makes an airplane slow down. Weight is the force caused by gravity and weight will bring an

airplane back to Earth again. Previous research has been conducted to discover how these forces affect flight.

Other research about the structure and the ways of controlling flight have been heavily researched through
experiments and studies of gliders and kites. However, there are limitations in the research, such as determining

what is the most desirable surface from which flight can be initiated, and what are the risks and costs of failed
lift-offs. We are used to seeing all types of flying objects like airplanes, helicopters, and jets flying in the skies

every day. Because this is a common sight, many of us may take flight for granted. But learning the science

behind flight gives us a better understanding of the wonders of flight. In this study we hypothesized that if a
Sphero Bolt, ball-shaped rolling robot could pull a toy glider or paper airplane with enough thrust, the toy glider

and paper airplane will achieve enough lift and be able to achieve flight.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES:

We attached a Sphero Bolt, ball-shaped rolling robot to a toy glider and a paper airplane, alternately. The Sphero
Bolt was programmed to easily pull both items. Therefore, our hypothesis was not supported.

RESULTS:
Although the Sphero Bolt robot was able to easily pull both the toy glider and the paper airplane, it did not

produce enough thrust to produce enough lift for the toy glider or the paper airplane to take flight. the We

concluded that even though lighter objects perform better in flight, the weight is irrelevant if there is not enough
thrust.

DISCUSSION:

Although our hypothesis was not supported through this experimental study, we were able to gather data that

may be useful for future endeavors in the fields of aerospace and aviation. The Sphero Bolt robot was easily able
to pull both the toy glider and the paper plane but was unable to produce enough lift to take off. Despite the fact

that neither of the two flew, we acquired slightly better results with the paper plane which we attributed to
Newton’s second law. Newton’s second law states that the acceleration of an object is dependent upon two

variables - the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object. This experiment led us to conclude
that even though lighter objects perform better in flight, the weight is irrelevant if there is not enough thrust.