Playing with Parachutes

Student Worksheet:
Design a parachute

You are a team of engineers who have been given the challenge to design a parachute out of everyday items. Your challenge is to design a parachute that can carry one metal washer to the ground from a height of 2M and hit a 10 cm target with the slowest possible rate of descent.  The parachute that can hit the target with the slowest descent rate is the winner. 

  Planning Stage
Meet as a team and discuss the problem you need to solve. Then develop and agree on a design for your parachute. You'll need to determine what materials you want to use.

Draw your design in the box below, and be sure to indicate the description and number of parts you plan to use. Present your design to the class.

You may choose to revise your teams' plan after you receive feedback from class.

Design: 																																																																																																																																											

Materials Needed:

Playing with Parachutes

Student Worksheet (continued):

 Construction Phase
Build your parachute. During construction you may decide you need additional materials or that your design needs to change. This is ok – just make a new sketch and revise your materials list.

 Testing Phase
Each team will test their parachute. You'll need to time your test to make sure your can support the washer and achieve the slowest rate of descent. 

Parachute Testing Data	
	Drop Height (m)	Drop Time (s)	Velocity
(m/s)	Distance Landed from Target	
Test 1
					
Test 2
					
Test 3
					
Test 4
					
Average

  Evaluation Phase
Evaluate your teams' results, complete the evaluation worksheet, and present your findings to the class.

Use this worksheet to evaluate your team's results in the Playing with Parachutes Lesson:
1.	Did you succeed in creating a parachute that could hit the target?  If so, what was your slowest rate of descent?  If not, why did it fail? 

2.	Did you decide to revise your original design or request additional materials while in the construction phase? Why?

Playing with Parachutes

Student Worksheet (continued):

3.	Did you negotiate any material trades with other teams? How did that process work for you?

4.	If you could have had access to materials that were different than those provided, what would your team have requested? Why?

5.	Do you think that engineers have to adapt their original plans during the construction of systems or products? Why might they?

6.	If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change? Why?

7.	What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked well?

Playing with Parachutes

Student Worksheet (continued):

8.	 Do you think you would have been able to complete this project easier if you were working alone? Explain…

9.	What kind of changes do you think you would need to make to your design if you needed to transport a heavier payload? Try it!