Helicopter seeds are a sort of seed that spin as they fall from a tree. The spinning motion and the truth that they’re mild and may catch the wind permits them to journey farther from the dad or mum tree than if they simply dropped to the ground.
That is one technique of seed dispersal utilized by crops and bushes to cut back the quantity of competitors across the dad or mum plant for mild, water and vitamins.
This exercise makes use of easy paper spinners to exhibit how helicopter seeds fall from a tree.
Which bushes have helicopter seeds?
Ash Timber – these helicopter seeds have one wing and hold in bunches from the tree.
Norway Maple
Sycamore – symmetrical wings in a V form
Make your individual seed helicopter
You’ll recognise these as easy paper spinners from a earlier science exercise, however they work very well for demonstrating this type of seed dispersal.
You’ll want
Paper
Paper clip or hair clip
Scissors
The right way to make a helicopter spinner
Minimize out a rectangle from paper just like the picture under utilizing scissors. Any dimension works effectively.
Minimize down the dotted traces and fasten the 2 ends along with a paper clip.
Maintain the spinner as excessive as you possibly can and drop.
Watch because the helicopter spins to the bottom identical to a seed.
Investigation concepts
Attempt dropping different-sized helicopters from the identical level and measure how far they journey from the drop level.
Drop the helicopters inside and out of doors. Design an investigation to seek out out If the wind makes a distinction to how far they journey.
Add additional weight to the helicopter and take a look at the investigation once more.
Do smaller helicopters spin quicker than massive helicopters?
Print the experiment directions
Investigation sheet
One other thought for studying a couple of completely different sort of seed dispersal is to make a sticky seed pod!
For those who want a little bit of assist figuring out completely different bushes, do this Tree Identification app from The Woodland Belief.
I’ve tons extra science experiments for autumn you may like and a few autumn STEM challenges too!
Final Up to date on October 8, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
