Wind resistance experiments for kids {using 3-D shapes}

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While learning about the wind during our weather unit, we took the time to conduct some wind resistance experiments in our kitchen. These experiments helped tie together our lessons about the wind with our prior knowledge about 3-D shapes.

You’ll find more resources for learning about weather on Weather Unit Study page my Weather Activities Pinterest board.

To conduct these experiments we gathered the following materials:

hairdryer
small cube
small cylinder
large cube
large cylinder
tape measure
tape to mark positions on the counter
white board to record our findings

Wind resistance experiments: Using wind to move a 3-D shape

For the first set of experiments, I marked two positions on our kitchen counter: one position for the head of the hair dryer and another position for the small 3-D shape.

We set the hairdryer and 3-D shape in their places, aimed the hairdryer at the 3-D shape, and then turned the hair dryer on “high.”

We observed how far the 3-D shape moved, and used a measuring tape to record the distance from the starting point to the ending point. We recorded our findings on a white board, and then repeated the experiment to see if we got similar results.

We ended up doing the experiment a total of eight times: twice while blowing air against the flat side of the cube, twice while blowing air against the corner edge of the cube, twice while blowing air against a cylinder standing on its edge, and twice while blowing air against a cylinder laying on its side.

Here were our results:

Wind resistance experiments: Using wind to move a 3-D shape blocked by another object

After the first set of experiments, we decided to see how far the cylinder on its side would travel if we blew air toward it while it was blocked by another object.

Check out this short 1 min, 20 sec video showing the results of this experiment where we used three different objects to block the air flow to the cylinder.