Does a heavier paper plane fly further than a lighter paper plane?

Answer 1

paper airplanes are suppose to be light to stay longer in the air so i suggest that you use construction paper for your airplane if this answer doesn't work don't blame it on me.my name is josh

Answer 2

It depends on how big it's wings are, if they are about 3 inches then yes.

If the paper is too light the wings will not have good stiffness.

More important than weight is stability. If the plane has too much lift it will climb and stall. In this case put a small downward crease in the tail of the plane. If the plane dives put an upward crease instead. Adding weight to the front of a paper plane also helps. Some people use a paper clip. I usually put an extra fold near the front of the plane.

Answer 3

well not really it up to you power in your trow it you trow it light the lighter paper airplane will will but if you trow hard enough the heaver one will go farther because it has more build in

Answer 4

In a word, inertia.

By the way, this isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Assuming both are designed the same with the only difference being the mass, there's a "sweet spot" for weight-to-wing-area-ratio that provides optimal gliding (the speed you initially throw it with matters too). Planes that are heavier or lighter than this will not fly as well.

A lighter plane has less mass and therefore less inertia. Any glider will lose momentum to frictional/drag forces as it travels, and a very light plane just doesn't have as much momentum to lose. There's also a factor due to less rotational inertia; it's easier for the plane to be deflected and go into a stall or dive.

A heavier plane has more momentum (when thrown at the same speed), but it's also got more downward force acting on it. If it has the same wing area, though, it has the same lift, so it drops more quickly than a light plane (objects fall at the same speed only in the absence of air resistance).

The optimal mass for any given design is one where the two curves cross, probably somewhere between making it out of tissue paper and making it out of lead.

In a vacuum, they both fly equally well, i.e. not at all.

Answer 5

You can learn more by experimenting with different weights of paper and possibly balancing a coin on the plane.

https://sciencing.com/science-project-mass-paper-airplane-affects-speed-plane-fly-12040679.html

Answer 6

Not necessarily; the range of a paper aircraft can be effected by more than just size, weight and speed.

Answer 7

NO