Scientific investigations in Year 5
The Question : Does the size of a parachute change how fast an object falls to the ground?
Before we started, the class made their hypotheses. Most of our scientists predicted that the larger parachute would be slower, but they needed the data to prove it!
The children made their own parachutes of contrasting sizes and attached a paper clip to them to test them.
The results were clear! The large tissue paper parachute consistently drifted slowly to the ground, while the small parachute plummeted much faster.
Why did this happen?
It all comes down to Surface Area. As the paperclip pulls the parachute down due to gravity, the tissue paper has to push its way through the air.
Large Surface Area: The big parachute hits more air particles as it falls. This creates more air resistance, which pushes up against the parachute and slows the descent.
Small Surface Area: The smaller parachute hits fewer air particles, meaning there is less air resistance to fight against gravity.
'We tested how fast or slow a parachute was based on their size. We found that the small one fell quicker - this was due to the surface area.' - Vinnie
' We had to find out which parachute went slower in the air - the result was that the bigger one went slower. This was because it had a wider surface area.' - Harry
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