This term, Year 5 are learning about Forces. This week, we were focusing on air resistance so we planned an investigation into the effectiveness of various parachutes. First, we used paper to see the effect air resistance had on increased surface area. We noticed that the flat paper took longer to reach the ground compared to the scrunched up paper.
Using this information, we decided to investigate whether the effectiveness of parachute depending upon their size. The children had to plan a fair investigation so in groups they decided which variable they would change (independent variable) and the variables they needed to keep the same (dependent variables). They decided that they would make three parachutes with varying sizes, ensuring everything else remained the same.
The pupils were excited to test out their parachutes and collect the results. The results showed that the larger the parachute, the slower it reached the ground. This proved their hypotheses to be correct: the increased surface area will collide with more air particles which will slow the parachutes down, making them more effective.
