Investigate the Size of Parachute and Object Falling Rate
If you have seen paratroopers jumping from a plane thousands of miles above the ground, it is for sure that you must have enjoyed it. You might have observed that the paratroopers reach the ground very smoothly and comfortably but at different times. Have you ever tried to think why that might be? To find out, you don’t have to be a paratrooper yourself but you do need a few things. For students of primary level who are in search of ideas for a Science project, this demonstration can be a real good one. It is simple to perform and does not take much of your time. However, before you perform this experiment, make sure you have the following things available.
Experiment Requirements:
– 4 handkerchiefs of same size, shape and material
– A simple wood or plastic ruler
– Paper
– Pencil
– Scissor or cutter
– 5 identical fishing weights
– String or thread
– A platform atleast 10 feet above the ground
Instructions
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1
Arranging the material
Arrange all the things mentioned above in one place so they are easily in your reach. Now start cutting handkerchiefs for parachutes. Leave 1 inch space from the boundary of one handkerchief, 2 inches from the second and 3 inches from the third. Do not cut any part of the fourth handkerchief. -
2
Fasten strings with handkerchiefs and fishing weight
Now you have 4 handkerchiefs of different sizes. Cut about 16 lengths of strings and make sure each length is exactly 12-inch long. Fasten four strings at a time to the corners of each handkerchief and then tie four strings to the fishing weight.
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3
Release the parachutes
Now one by one start releasing the parachutes in the air and make them fall from the platform where you are standing on to the ground. It will be noticed that the biggest sized handkerchief took longer time to reach the ground. Hence, bigger the size of a parachute, the more time it will take for the object to reach the ground.
