Why does parachute size matter

About how long did it take to fall on average? Try this parachute two more times. About how long did it take the larger parachute to fall? Why do you think this is? Test out your new parachutes. Do you see a clear trend between the size of the parachutes and how long it takes them to fall?

Try this activity again but this time vary the material that the parachute is made out of you could try nylon, cotton, tissue paper, etcetera , the shape of the parachute, the length of the string, the weight of the string, the load by increasing or decreasing the number of pennies , or the height at which the parachute is dropped. How does changing one of these other variables affect how well the parachute works? Observations and results Did the larger parachute take longer to fall to the ground than the smaller parachute did?

How large a parachute is in other words, the parachute's surface area affects its air resistance, or drag force. The larger the parachute, the greater the drag force. In the case of these parachutes, the drag force is opposite to the force of gravity, so the drag force slows the parachutes down as they fall.

Consequently, the larger parachute, with its greater drag force, takes longer to reach the ground than the smaller parachute. Although the force of gravity is greater on the larger, slightly heavier parachute than the smaller, lighter one, the relative increase in the drag force on the larger parachute is greater than the increase in the force of gravity. This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies. Already a subscriber?

Here are instructions for a toy parachute. Your classroom can divide into groups or teams and try altering the materials and design, always using identical objects as the jumper:. Cut a circle out of a paper bag, plastic bag, piece of tissue, cotton cloth, silk, etc. Let them decide the size bigger will be better. Punch holes around the edge of the circle, at least four. Tissue will need some reinforcement first, a piece of tape will work.

The variables are numerous in this — for one thing, the height from which the parachute is dropped: it will pick up speed before air resistance slows it down so the higher the better. Does the parachute want to rock back and forth? Maybe it needs a hole in the middle to allow air to flow through the middle. See if one of your students figures that out. Did the larger parachutes work better?

Did material make any difference? Did number of strings have an impact on performance? Hopefully this experiment and the others help your students understand and even better, get excited about gravity and air resistance! Raised in Maryland and Alabama, Robin now lives with her husband in the Coast Range of western Oregon where she especially enjoys observing the wildlife on her property.

You can learn more on her blog, robinkoontz. Secure Server - We value your privacy. Search Kids Discover. All Blog Posts. Quick View. Free Download. Print Title. Parachutes: Does Size Matter? Share your story with Science Buddies! Yes, I Did This Project!

Please log in or create a free account to let us know how things went. Sara Agee, Ph. Science Buddies Staff. Accessed 12 Nov. Introduction Figure 1. As the skydiver falls, the forces of gravity and drag are nearly in balance SEED, b. Make a Parachute. Retrieved September 4, These resources provide additional information about the physics of parachutes: The Physics Classroom.

Retrieved October 19, Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development, Inc. Adventures in Skydiving. Calculating Drag. For help creating graphs, try this website: National Center for Education Statistics, n. Create a Graph. Retrieved June 25, Note: A computerized matching algorithm suggests the above articles. It's not as smart as you are, and it may occasionally give humorous, ridiculous, or even annoying results! Learn more about the News Feed. Materials and Equipment Heavy weight garbage bags Metric ruler Scissors Light weight string at least 6.

A good place for your test might be a secure balcony, deck, or playground platform. Stopwatch, accurate to at least 0. Experimental Procedure Each parachute will be made out of the garbage bag material, so first cut open the garbage bags to make a flat sheet of plastic. You will make a series of four parachutes of different sizes, from large to small.

Each parachute will be square in shape, so the four sides will each be of the same length. Table 1 below shows the list of parachute sizes you will try. In this science project you will try a variety of different sized parachutes.