What you need:
- Two lightweight plastic bags
- String
- Scissors
- Tape
- A small action figure
What to do:
1. The whole idea is to make a parachute that can descend as slowly as possible so that your action figure has a safe landing.
2. Cut out a large square from one of the plastic bags. Keep the other one as a spare.
3. Lay the square out flat on a table and cut out four holes, one in each comer.
4. Cut four pieces of string of equal length. Insert each string into one hole and tie it off
5. Tie the loose ends of all the strings to your action figure. Make sure their lengths stay equal.
6. Climb on a chair and let the parachute go!
What happens:
If your design is good, and the size of your parachute and its payload are in proportion, then your action figure should have a slow, safe landing If your parachute is fast then you need to check its design and make another using the spare plastic bag Try out different canopy sizes different string lengths, different weights, different wind direction (when you take it outdoors) and so on.
Why?
When you drop any object gravity pulls it to the ground. To counter the effect of gravity we use parachutes. The weight of the object still pulls on the strings of the parachute. But the entire surface of the parachutes canopy experiences ‘drag or air resistance. This causes it to slow down. Thus the larger the parachute the more air friction it experiences, and the slower it falls.
Picture Credit : Google
