Children from Year 4 investigated the effects of air resistance this week when they were asked to create Provo’s very first parachute regiment!
As part of their science topic on ‘Friction’, the children were challenged to create a parachute that reduced the speed that their character fell. After much planning, head-scratching and problem solving, they were ready to test their inventions. Some groups created traditional parachutes while others chose a hand-glider design. Both ideas worked well, and it was clear that the resistance between the parachute and the warm Provo air worked perfectly to keep our little wooden volunteers safe!
Back in class, we watched how air resistance could be observed in other demonstrations. With the help of nothing more than air, we made two identical pieces of paper fall at different speeds. It was even possible to snap an old ruler with nothing more than a sheet of paper and a lot of air resistance! Who knew that the air around us could be so strong?!
