The Paper Helicopter Experiment in A-Level, H2 Physics, Practial Examinations

Q: What does The Paper Helicopter Experiment in A-Level, H2 Physics, Practial Examinations cover?
A: The paper helicopter is a classic experiment commonly tested in A-Level, H2 Physics Practical Examinations.

In one rainy afternoon of lesson-prep I built, dropped, timed and re-timed a dozen paper helicopters; the exercise reminded me why this humble prop is a gold-standard vehicle for teaching A-Level “plan-an-experiment” skills.

It compresses every stage of scientific inquiry (hypothesis, design, data-gathering, statistical analysis) into a single sessions, yet the same setup scales all the way to the undergraduate level.

Because the task is visually engaging, cheap and endlessly tweakable, it gives students space to practise under exam-style constraints while still feeling like real researchers.

Why paper helicopters?

Classroom helicopters reach a terminal velocity when weight balances the drag + lift produced by spinning rotors, capturing the same quadratic-drag physics that underpins syllabus stalwarts such as coffee-filter drops or free-fall light-gate labs.

George Box famously used the model to teach factorial design and randomisation principles decades before “authentic enquiry” became a curriculum buzz-phrase.

Today's teachers like it because a whole class can fabricate air-worthy models from a single pack of 160 gsm card and scissors.

Mapping the exam objectives

Questions often ask learners to propose apparatus, method, analysis and evaluation for a brand-new scenario worth 15 marks.

The helicopter practical hits each objective cleanly: