Why does a toy attached to a parachute fall so much slower than one dropped by itself? Gravity pulls everything toward the ground. But a parachute traps air underneath and creates a pushing-back force called air resistance (drag).
You cut a large circle from a plastic bag and poke six holes around the edge. Tie six equal strings to the holes. Attach a small toy to the loose ends. Toss the parachute up or drop it from a high spot.
The plastic fills with air and the toy floats down gently. Gravity still wins, but air resistance slows the fall.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that a parachute will slow down the descent of a falling object.
A parachute slows a falling toy because air pushes back on the open plastic. Cut a large circle from a plastic bag, poke six holes around the edge, and tie six equal strings to the holes. Attach a small toy to the loose ends, then toss the parachute from a high spot. The plastic fills with air as it falls. Gravity still pulls the toy down, but the pushing force from the air slows the descent.
A parachute works because air pushes back. Cut a large circle from a plastic bag, poke six holes around the edge, and tie six equal strings to the holes. Attach a small toy to the loose ends and toss the whole thing from a high spot. The plastic fills with air and the toy floats down gently. Gravity still pulls it toward the ground, but that pushing-back force — the air resistance — slows the fall.
When you toss a toy into the air, gravity pulls it back down. A parachute slows that fall by trapping air underneath and creating a pushing-back force called air resistance. You cut a large circle from a plastic bag, poke six holes around the edge, and tie six equal strings to the holes. Attach a small toy to the loose ends and drop the whole thing from a high spot. The plastic fills with air and the toy floats down gently. Gravity still wins, but air resistance slows the descent.
Method & Materials
You will make a parachute out of a plastic bag, thread, scissors, ruler, and cellotape. Then, you will attach a toy to the parachute and throw it up in the air.
You will need a plastic carrier bag, long piece of thread or string, scissors, ruler, cellotape, and a small toy or object.
The experiment showed that the parachute slowed down the descent of the falling object, proving the hypothesis correct. The most interesting observation was that the parachute filled up with air and created a force that resisted the force of gravity.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting and unique because it allows students to explore the force of gravity in a fun and hands-on way.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include changing the size of the parachute, the weight of the object, and the wind speed.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
