Will a Plastic Bag Work As a Parachutist?
Plastic shopping bags at the supermarket may all look alike, but are they all strong and durable? In reality, they’re used in a variety of industries that benefit from their strength and dependability.
Plastic bags are highly recyclable, so if you have one lying around the house, why not recycle it and create something useful from it. A plastic bag can even be used to construct a parachute – an engaging way for children to learn about physics and force!
Make your own parachute with just some string and a plastic bag! This project is straightforward, enjoyable, and will give your kids an excellent understanding of physics and force.
Start by cutting a square piece of plastic. Either use scissors or a sharp knife, cut the plastic into an area big enough for all your strings and weight – at least twice as wide on one side as the other. If necessary, enlarge it slightly so the strings can pass through it easily.
Next, use a hole punch to make holes along the edge of your plastic. A minimum of four should suffice, but you may need to add more as needed.
Additionally, you will require tape to secure the strings to the plastic. Select tape that matches the colour of your string; this will prevent it from becoming too slippery when in mid-air.
Once your strings are attached to the plastic, tie them securely in a knot so they don’t wiggle around. Doing this will help ensure your parachute remains securely attached and prevent it from breaking when dropped.
Before dropping your plastic parachute, be sure to test it out to see how well it flies and if everything works as intended. If not, you can re-create with different material or try a different size.
Once you find a high spot to drop your parachute, give it some time to fill with air before taking off. Be careful not to drop it too low or else the strings could break during impact.
If you’re wondering how long it takes to fall to the ground, it depends on how much resistance your parachute makes. This is known as wind resistance and it slows down your descent.
Through this experiment, you discovered that the larger your parachute is, the greater its resistance and slower it falls. If you’d like to test different materials for your parachute, repeat this test using construction paper, plastic grocery bags or another object with some wind resistance. Be sure to record what happens with each material in a notebook so you can gain further insight into wind resistance as you go along.
