This experiment was conducted to determine whether the origami model's weight distribution and wing shape matched the maple seed's. The parameters varied were the area of the wing, its shape, and necessarily the weight of the model and seed. However, the analysis of the weight distribution showed that very little of the weight is in the wing (counting grid squares yields a percentage wing weight of 12%). Thus I assumed that the significant parameters were wing size and shape. The experiment was conducted by trimming an origami model and a maple seed so that only the end of the wing remained.
The rotation of the cut wing model and seed was compared to the rotation of an intact model and seed. All models and seeds rotated and autorotated, but those with cut wings fell faster. Why? What would happen if the part of the wing cut was changed? Is there a part of the wing that must be kept for the seed to rotate? To autorotate?
