Design and Test a Parachute

See if you can design one that can fall slowly to the ground before putting it to the test, making modifications as you go.

Equipment:

• A plastic bag or light material

• Scissors

• String

• A small object to act as the weight, a little action figure would be perfect

Procedure:

1. Cut out a large square from your plastic bag or material.

2. Trim the edges so it looks like an octagon (an eight sided shape).

3. Cut a small whole near the edge of each side.

4. Attach 8 pieces of string of the same length to each of the holes.

5. Tie the pieces of string to the object you are using as a weight.

6. Use a chair or find a high spot to drop your parachute and test how well it worked, remember that you want it to drop as slow as possible.

What's happening?

Please consider the following inquiry questions to guide you in this task - try not to answer the questions directly but rather use them to come up with your own investigation.

Hopefully your parachute will descend slowly to the ground, giving your weight a comfortable landing.

When you release the parachute what role does the weight play in the process?

What role does the surface area of the parachute have on slowing down the parachute?

What is the relationship between surface area and air resistance?

What happens when a small hole is cut in the middle of the parachute?