Use this engaging air resistance experiment when teaching your students about air friction and the effect it has on the effectiveness of a parachute.
Explore the Air Resistance Force with Parachutes!
Air resistance is a type of friction force. When an object falls toward the Earth due to gravity, air resistance force acts upon the object to slow it down or to stop it from falling. Different materials of varying shapes and sizes can affect the strength of the air resistance force.
The experienced team of teachers at Teach Starter understands that the best way for your students to learn about air friction is to see it happening before their very eyes! That’s why we’ve designed this air resistance experiment where students will explore air friction by designing their very own parachute. So open up your craft cupboard, grab some weights and a stopwatch, and put your little scientists to work!
The procedure for this air resistance experiment is outlined below:
- Decide on materials for the parachute. Remember that it needs to be light as well as wind-resistant.
- On the sheet provided, plan and design the parachute. Draw and label each part.
- Begin the construction process for the parachute. Attach the same type of weight used by others.
- When the design is complete, safely test the parachute.
The resource download provides a complete booklet with all the instructions and worksheets the students require to conduct this air resistance experiment. The booklet downloads as a PDF; however, should you wish your students to complete the worksheets electronically, a Google Slides version of these is also available. (Note: The cover page is not included in the editable download.)
This air friction experiment for kids provides a hands-on approach to learning about the fascinating force of air resistance. By actively engaging in this experiment, your students will gain a deeper understanding of how different materials influence the strength of the air resistance force.
Fine-Tune Science Inquiry Skills with This Air Resistance Experiment
One of the great benefits of science experiments such as this one is that they encourage students to develop both content knowledge and scientific inquiry skills.
This air resistance force experiment allows your students to put many science inquiry skills into practice while learning about air friction and the effect it has on objects. Some of the questions that students will be required to critically think about and answer include:
- What do I think will happen?
- What constants will I need to keep the same?
- What variables will I need to change?
- What equipment will I use?
- How will I record the data?
- What conclusions can I draw from my results?
Through completing this air resistance experiment, your students will learn that the best parachute is one that is light and captures the most air to maximize the air resistance force.
Download This Air Resistance Force Investigation
As mentioned above, this air resistance force experiment downloads as either an easy-print PDF or an editable Google Slides version. Use the download button to access your preferred file format. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template on your personal drive before accessing it.)
To save paper, you might like to project the instruction page on your interactive whiteboard and provide the student with the worksheet pages only. Please consider printing these double-sided – the environment will thank you for it!
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