Since fifth graders have finished their spacecraft designs, their next focus will be on meeting the need to safely land the spacecraft. Parachutes are an important technology that aerospace engineers develop, and while it's obvious that they can slow down a spacecraft, many variables can affect its descent.
Using science in engineering, fifth graders are building, testing, and drawing conclusions from controlled experiments to figure out how the design of a parachute affects the rate at which it falls.
Does a bigger canopy always fall slower? Or does it depend upon the material from which it is made? Does the suspension line length make a difference in its fall time? We'll be exploring these questions!
Using science in engineering, fifth graders are building, testing, and drawing conclusions from controlled experiments to figure out how the design of a parachute affects the rate at which it falls.
Does a bigger canopy always fall slower? Or does it depend upon the material from which it is made? Does the suspension line length make a difference in its fall time? We'll be exploring these questions!