Gravity and Air Resistance What is the best

Gravity and Air Resistance What is the best size for a parachute?

What will faster an elephant or a feather? Elephant and feather without air resistance Elephant and feather with air resistance

• When someone jumps out of a plane gravity pulls them towards the earth. • Some air will push back but not enough to stop them. • When a parachute is opened it traps a lot of air molecules which push against the pull of gravity slowing the man down. back

Which parachute do you think will fall the fastest, why?

Here’s a little experiment to help you think… • See if you can get someone else to help you with this bit. • One of you will be gravity who will pull down holding on to the edge of the parachute. • Another of you will be air molecules who, if they are trapped, will push up to make air resistance. • What difference does the size of the parachute make to how quickly gravity pulls it to the ground? Try it out!

Which parachute will fall the fastest, why? Now think again… Remember gravity always stays the same

What size of parachute will fall most quickly? • How could we test this? • What will we need to do this? • What could we measure? • What do we think will happen? • Why do we think it will happen? • How will we make it a fair test? • How will we record our results?

x What if he needs to land on an ? What will be the best size parachute to fall accurately, why?

What is the best size for a parachute to be if it has to land on an x? • How could we test this? • What will we need to do this? • What could we measure? • What do we think will happen? • Why do we think it will happen? • How will we make it a fair test? • How will we record our results?