This is one crazy looking flyer. Give it a try for a little fun.
Materials:
2 index cards
Tape
2 straws
Optional items for added excitement: friend, clay, manila file folder.
What You Do:
For each hoopster, cut a 1 inch strip from the short side of an index card. Roll the strip into a circle and tape it to one end of your straw. Cut a 1 inch strip form the long side of the other index card. Roll it into a larger circle and tape to the other end of your straw.
Hold the hoopster in the middle and toss it gently. Experiment with which end flies better.
If you like, challenge a friend to build one and see whose hoopster will stay in the air longer.
Try putting two straws together end to end and making larger loops from a manila file folder. Try adding weight to your hoopster by sticking a piece of clay somewhere along its body. Where does the weight work best?
What’s going on? Your hoopster is an experiment in aerodynamics. Aerodynamics comes from the Greek words for air and power. It’s the study of how gases move. Air, which is a gas, lifts the hoopster as it passes over and under the loops. Bernoulli’s Principle states that fast moving air has a lower pressure than slow moving air. The loops of the hoopster are airfoils. The air has to move faster over the top of the loops than it does beneath the loops. This creates a low-pressure zone above the hoopster that lifts it into the air. Helicopters and airplanes use this principle to fly.
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