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Experiment 22 v4
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Dropping eggs in parachutes
Can you create a parachute to protect an egg?
Purpose
This experiment gives children an opportunity to practise finding the areas of shapes.
The child will learn about how the area of a parachute affects its wind resistance.
You need to know
- how to measure lengths
- how to calculate the areas of common shapes
You will need
Steps
- Gather the items you need.
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Draw designs for three different egg parachutes.
Try to design them so that the eggs will land gently when they are dropped.
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Have fun creating your egg parachutes.
If there are several of you doing this experiment, why not write your names on your eggs? This way you will know which parachutes worked best.
- Measure the area of the canopy (the plastic bag part) of each of your parachutes.
- Drop your parachutes from a height of six metres (to give the parachutes time to open).
- If no eggs survive the drop, redesign your parachutes and do the experiment again.
Keep safe!
Make sure you are allowed to use the eggs.
Remember that some of them will probably get broken.
Keep safe!
Check with an adult first! You must choose a safe place to drop the parachutes from.
Questions
- How did the area of the parachute's canopy affect the results?
- How can you improve your designs?
Expected answers
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Parachutes with large canopies are more like to pass the test.
You may also want to point out that the cross-sectional area is the critical measurement here. Adding more plastic will only make a more effective parachute if it increases the cross-sectional area.
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Making the cross-sectional area of the canopy larger and making sure that less air escapes the vents and sides will improve the design.
Explore further (optional)
What effect does the height you drop the egg from have on whether it breaks?
Tips for further exploration
Dropping the egg from too low might not give the parachute time to open.
It is interesting to note that, with a good parachute, you can drop the egg from as high as you like. Once it reaches its terminal velocity, it won't go any faster however high you drop it from. This in turn means you will be able to drop if from as high as you like without it breaking.
