How to make Parachute?: DIY

Karkhana
January 7, 2021

Let’s Make a DIY Parachute!

Image result for homemade parachute with plastic

Making a Parachute is a fun craft project and also an educational science experiment that can be done at home. So let us begin and make this homestay fun and productive.

Materials required:

  • Thread
  • Plastic (polythene)
  • Load (small nut)
  • Scissors

What to do next?

You can follow these simple steps to make your DIY Parachute.

STEP 1:

Take a plastic bag.

 

STEP 2:

Fold it in half.

STEP 3:

Cut the two ends of the plastic bag.

STEP 4:

Unfold the plastic bag

STEP 5:

Cut off the edges so it looks like this

STEP 6:

Turn the plastic sideways and fold the corner to edge

STEP 7:

Cut the bottom part to make a square.

STEP 8:

Fold the plastic bag in the shape of triangle four times.

STEP 9:

Fold it again and it will look something like this.

STEP 10:

Cut the bottom part making an arc.

STEP 11: 

Completely unfold the plastic bag.

STEP 12:

Draw a diameter and mark dots at 60 degree around the circumference of the plastic bag. Make small holes on the dots as shown.

STEP 13:

Take a piece of string and make its length three times the radius of the circle.

STEP 14:

Tie the string on one hole of the circumference of the plastic bag.

STEP 15:

Take five more strings of the same length and tie them on the remaining holes.

STEP 16:

Place a small object at the end of the string and it is ready for testing

Try the same activity using different material like newspaper, tissue paper, napkins.

 

Investigating Questions

  • What type of paper is the best material to make a parachute? Why?
  • What materials did not work well? Why?
  • What changes could you make to improve your design?

 

NOW TIME FOR SOME SCIENCE

 

When a coin is dropped from a height, it will reach the ground within a very short period of time. It is because the air resistance (a force acting opposite to the direction of the coin) is very small due to the smaller surface area of the coin. While, when the parachute is dropped from a certain height, the envelope of the parachute(plastic in this case) increases the surface area resulting inaction of more air resistance. Thus helping to slow down its speed.

You can watch this video to learn more:

Keep Learning! 🙂

Reference

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/freefall.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STDJ0l0cvFo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEtYq0G4erA

Karkhana