Students worked in small groups to determine the best dimensions and mass for a parachute. Their job was to experiment with parachutes of different shapes and dimensions, in order to balance the forces of gravity and air pressure so that the parachutes floated to the ground, without being carried away with the wind.
In the lab, groups recorded the dimensions of their parachutes. They then took their parachutes to the Pavilion and experimented with varying numbers of paper clips, to get the mass just right. Groups used stop watches to time and record the fall of each parachute. View some videos below.
Year 3 love to experience gravity and air pressure first hand using the giant parachute too.
Above
And below
