Year 7 Science Investigation: How Parachutes Affect the Fall of Toy Dinosaurs
In Year 7 Science, students have been learning about forces. Some students took part in an exciting hands-on experiment by creating parachutes for toy dinosaurs.
The key question guiding their inquiry was ‘how does adding a parachute to a toy dinosaur affect the time taken for it to fall?’ To find out, students attached small parachutes to their toy dinosaurs and released them from a height, measuring how long it took for them to reach the ground.
Throughout their experiment, students discovered that adding a parachute increased the amount of air resistance acting on the toy dinosaur, which slowed down its fall. This happens because the parachute increases the surface area, causing more air particles to collide with the parachute, creating resistance.
By comparing the fall times of the dinosaurs with and without parachutes, students were able to clearly see how air resistance plays a crucial role in controlling the speed of falling objects. The investigation not only helped students understand air resistance but also deepened their appreciation for how forces work in the world around them.
Mrs Harrison
Science Teacher
