Children learning about friction, gravity and air resistance can explore these concepts by building a miniature parachute. This hands-on project allows students to experiment with different designs until they find the surface area that gives their falling object -- in this case, a tennis ball -- the ideal descent. Students can make and test several versions, eventually discovering that bigger parachutes lead to more-controlled falls. Tennis ball parachutes make successful in-class projects, homework assignments and science fair experiments.
- Plastic bag or lightweight fabric
- Scissors
- String
- Tennis ball
- Eye screw
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Instructions
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1
Cut a square or rectangle from a plastic bag or lightweight fabric. Slice off each corner, forming an octagon. Cut a slit near each corner.
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2
Measure and cut eight equal lengths of string. Tie one through each slit in the octagon.
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3
Screw an eye screw into a tennis ball. Tie the loose ends of each string to the eye of the screw.
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4
Drop the parachute from a height and check how smoothly and slowly it falls. If it does not fall straight, cut a small hole through the middle of the octagon to allow some air to slip through. This should straighten the descent.