Parachute Investigation in Palm

This afternoon, Palm class were investigating the independent variable of 'surface area'. The children made their predictions and then worked in pairs to create their parachutes. Testing the parachutes out on the activity trail on top of the slide climbing frame. The children launched their parachutes from the top of the slide and recorded the time it took for the parachute to hit the floor (in some instances smashing the eggs).

Palm class learnt that air resistance is a force caused by air particles colliding with any object that moves through it. Our results showed  that the larger the surface area of the parachute the longer it took to fall to the ground. This is because more air particles collide with the parachute when there is more surface area as opposed to a smaller surface area. Even though there is more gravity acting on the larger parachutes the smaller ones are more streamlined and also have less air resistance. These two factors therefore meant that the parachutes with a smaller surface area fell to the ground in a shorter time.