Homemade Parachute Construction Guide for Children's Education in Physics
Dive into the thrilling world of physics with this DIY parachute project, designed for elementary and middle school students! Discover the amazing power of gravity and air resistance while exploring captivating concepts like gravity, drag, and terminal velocity.
Create your very own Parachute Adventure!
Discipline: PhysicsAge Group: 2nd – 6th GradeConcepts Covered: Gravity, Air Resistance, Terminal Velocity
Parachutes play a crucial role in various real-life scenarios such as skydiving, space missions, rescue operations, and cargo delivery [1]. Here's your chance to experience the magic firsthand!
Guide to building a Parachute
👉 Want to learn more about air resistance? Try out paper helicopters or airfoils for an additional challenge [1]!
Materials List
- Lightweight plastic or fabric (plastic bag, coffee filter, or tablecloth)
- Four equal pieces of string or thread (approx. 40 cm each)
- Small weight (washer, clay, or mini figure)
- Scissors
- Tape or glue
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Stopwatch
- Notebook or our free science journal pages (see below)
Step-by-Step Instructions
🎥 Check out the full setup in our video below!
STEP 1. Cut a square (30 cm x 30 cm) or circle (30 cm diameter) from your lightweight material. This will serve as your parachute canopy.
STEP 2. Cut four strings, each about 40 cm long. Tape or glue one end of each string to the four corners (or evenly spaced edges) of the canopy.
STEP 3. Choose a small weight for your parachute that is light enough to slow its fall.
💡 Try this twist: Use your parachute for an Egg Drop Challenge!
STEP 4. Tie the free ends of the strings to your weight. Ensure that all strings are the same length to keep the weight even.
STEP 5. Head to a safe testing area, like a stairwell, balcony, or playground. Hold the canopy and drop your parachute. Use a stopwatch to measure the time it takes to hit the ground.
STEP 6. Repeat your test at least 3 times. Record your data in a notebook or journal. Try dropping it from different heights or changing designs to compare results.
How does a Parachute work?
Parachutes slow down falling objects by increasing air resistance [2]. Gravity pulls the object down, but the large canopy catches air and creates drag, a force that pushes upwards against gravity. As the drag increases, the falling object slows down [3]. Eventually, gravity and air resistance balance out, and the object reaches a steady terminal velocity [2].
Quick Vocabulary
- Gravity: A force that pulls objects towards Earth.
- Air Resistance (Drag): A force that slows down objects moving through air.
- Terminal Velocity: The maximum speed an object can reach while falling through the air.
- Parachute: A device used to slow down objects as they fall by increasing air resistance.
- Canopy: The top part of the parachute that catches air.
Grab the printable instructions for the parachute science project here.
Real-world Applications of Parachutes
Parachutes have numerous applications in various industries, including:- Skydiving: Safe descent from planes.- Military: Delivery of troops and supplies.- Space Missions: Slowing re-entry capsules.- Rescue Operations: Dropping aid into remote areas.- Cargo Delivery: Air-dropping food or supplies during emergencies.
Enhance the Activity
Take this simple project to the next level with extended experiments:- Test materials: Try fabric, paper, or plastic.- Change shapes: Compare squares, circles, and triangles.- Vary weights: Add different loads to your parachute.- Set design goals: Longest air time, most stable flight, or softest landing.
📌 Utilize the scientific method or the engineering design process to plan and refine your parachute design!
Level Up Your Science Project
To transform your parachute activity into a full-blown science fair project:- Ask a question: Which parachute design falls the slowest?- Make a hypothesis: A larger canopy will increase air resistance and result in a slower terminal velocity.- Test and record: Change one variable at a time.- Analyze: Graph your drop times or success rate.- Share: Use our printable science fair board templates!
🔎 Explore our Easy Science Fair Planning Pack for tips, layouts, and inspiration!
Additional Physics Experiments
- Gravity Experiments
- Egg Drop Project
- Paper Plane Designs
- Paper Helicopter
- Make A Paper Rocket
- Test a wind tunnel
- LEGO Parachute
Experience the Fun of STEM with Our Exciting STEM Project Bundle
Love hands-on science and STEM projects like this Parachute Experiment? The STEM Project Bundle offers a full year of exhilarating STEM learning activities for ages 5-12.
What's Inside:
- 90+ easy science experiments
- 80+ STEM and engineering challenges
- Famous scientist pack
- Simple machines, magnets, and coding activities
- Bonus: Real-world STEM Challenge Template!
Perfect for home or classroom use-print and go!- Grab the STEM Project Bundle here and make STEM an essential part of your learning journey!
Now you're all set to build and test your own DIY parachute! Have fun exploring the fascinating world of physics and aerodynamics while learning the essentials of gravity, air resistance, and terminal velocity. Happy experimenting! 🚀
- Parachutes, utilized in various scenarios like skydiving, space missions, and cargo delivery, can be created by kids in elementary school with DIY projects.
- In this Parachute Adventure, kids will learn about air resistance, gravity, and terminal velocity, fundamental concepts in physics.
- To begin, gather materials such as lightweight plastic or fabric, four equal strings, a small weight, scissors, tape or glue, and a stopwatch.
- Follow the step-by-step instructions to construct your DIY parachute, including cutting a square or circle from your lightweight material, attaching the strings, and adding a weight.
- Test your parachute's effectiveness by dropping it from different heights and measuring the time it takes to hit the ground, then record your results in a science journal.
- A parachute works by increasing air resistance, which counteracts gravity and causes objects to slow down as they fall.
- Extend the learning experience by exploring real-world applications of parachutes, such as in skydiving, the military, space missions, rescue operations, and cargo delivery.
- Engage in hands-on engineering and science activities, like testing materials, changing shapes, varying weights, and setting design goals.
- Delve deeper into physics by planning and refining parachute designs using the scientific method or the engineering design process, then present your findings at a science fair using printable science fair board templates.
