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Science Projects Can Help You Understand How Real Parachutes Work
from: Maxx Sports GuidesParachutes are frequently the subject of school science projects. Parachutes are a good way to learn about physics and aerodynamics.
They are also fairly easy to make with the right materials, including plastic bags, nylon fabrics from discarded tents, strings and an object to serve as the payload.
The instructions are easy and there many resources that you can find on the internet. Many variations and designs of parachutes can be made to produce different results.
Parachute Projects
Parachutes work by slowing down the descent of a person or object in the atmosphere. They create drag or air resistance that slows down the descent while being pulled down by gravity.
You can experiment with different designs but the easiest to make would be round shaped parachutes.
When an object falls down it has to push air molecules away. This causes the drag or air resistance that inflates parachutes. The amount of drag can be measured through the cross sectional area of the object.
A parachute's canopy has a large cross sectional area that results in more drag, and slows down a falling object attached to a parachute.
For a falling object to have a soft landing, it must reach a terminal velocity. This is accomplished when the weight of the object is equal to the drag or air resistance.
Right Size Important
A chute of the right size is necessary to be able to get the right drag. The chute size will depend on the payload or your weight. Generally, heavier objects need canopies with a bigger radius. A formula is applied to round parachutes to determine a descent speed for payloads.
Start simply so that you'll have an idea on how it works. You can go from there and experiment with different materials and weights. Using sand can be a bit hard to gauge.
You can opt for large canopies for heavier weights. Some materials are air resistant while some aren't. Most of the time, the amount of air resistance will depend on the weight of your materials.
Toy parachutes can be made from plastic bags and strings. You can also use a bandanna, handkerchief, scarf or any lightweight fabric. If fabrics aren't available use lightweight paper.
You can decide on what object you are going to use for the payload. The simplest payload would be metal washers. Lightweight strings are preferable.
Make small overhand knots at the corners of your cloth. Next, tie the string above the knots. Hold the center of your cloth and pull the strings. Tie the ends of your strings with an overhand knot. Lastly, tie the strings to the metal washer. Release the parachute from a height of six feet.
A lark's head knot is more convenient to use because you'll able to untie your payload easily. You can add more metal washers if you want to experiment. You can also add suspension lines if you want a different design.
You can also use other materials. After you know the basics you can try out nylon fabrics from discarded tents and use heavier weights.
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