Design a Parachute
Your job is to create a working parachute that can carry a washer to the ground from a height of approximately 2 meters (6 feet). The parachute has to hit a target that is 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter with the slowest rate of descent.
Use the Reference sheets and set of materials provided to decide on the material and shape of the parachute your group wants to create. (Your group has to agree on one parachute design!)
Available Materials:
String Newspaper Timer
Plastic shopping bag Metal washer Meter Stick
Copy paper Scissors
Coffee filters Tape
1) Planning Stage:
Draw your parachute design in the space below. Be sure to include the description and number of parts you plan to use.
Design:
Materials Needed:
2) Construction Phase: Build your parachute. As you build, you may realize you need additional materials or that your design needs to change. No problem, just modify your sketch and materials list!
3) Testing Phase: Test your parachute. You’ll need to time your test to make sure you can support the washer and achieve the slowest rate of descent. Drop height should be measured from the bottom edge of the washer. Calculate the velocity of your parachute (speed = distance / time) and the distance your parachute landed from the target.
Use the Reference sheets and set of materials provided to decide on the material and shape of the parachute your group wants to create. (Your group has to agree on one parachute design!)
Available Materials:
String Newspaper Timer
Plastic shopping bag Metal washer Meter Stick
Copy paper Scissors
Coffee filters Tape
1) Planning Stage:
Draw your parachute design in the space below. Be sure to include the description and number of parts you plan to use.
Design:
Materials Needed:
2) Construction Phase: Build your parachute. As you build, you may realize you need additional materials or that your design needs to change. No problem, just modify your sketch and materials list!
3) Testing Phase: Test your parachute. You’ll need to time your test to make sure you can support the washer and achieve the slowest rate of descent. Drop height should be measured from the bottom edge of the washer. Calculate the velocity of your parachute (speed = distance / time) and the distance your parachute landed from the target.
4) Evaluation Phase:
1) Did you create a parachute that could hit the target? If so, what was your slowest rate of descent? If not, why did it fail?
2) Did you revise your original design? Why?
3) If you could have had access to any other materials that weren’t provided, what would you have wanted? Why?
4) What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked well?
5) If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change? Why? What kind of changes would you need to make to your design if you had a heavier payload?
1) Did you create a parachute that could hit the target? If so, what was your slowest rate of descent? If not, why did it fail?
2) Did you revise your original design? Why?
3) If you could have had access to any other materials that weren’t provided, what would you have wanted? Why?
4) What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked well?
5) If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change? Why? What kind of changes would you need to make to your design if you had a heavier payload?