hypothesis

 We are testing different parachute shapes because we want to find out which parachute design gets both the effects of a square and round parachute.  We hypothesize that the parachute with slight folds showcases the benefits of combining square and rounded designs. By incorporating these folds, we create a square shape that enhances stability during descent, minimizing the risk of unexpected trembling. The square shape would create lift allowing the air to go in one direction.  Additionally, the slight curvature of the parachute contributes to a slower descent rate because the round shape creates drag as it grabs onto the air inside the space allowing the drop to be slower, facilitating smoother landings. This hybrid design (could you add a definition here to make it clear that you understand what hybrid means) optimizes control and precision while ensuring a gentle touchdown, making it suitable for a variety of landing scenarios, from military operations to recreational activities. As it fell in the air it would be exposed to a buoyant force because the weight of the fluid increases as a solid object is dipped deeper into a fluid. Therefore, the buoyant force also increases the lift. 

https://kidsdiscover.com/teacherresources/parachutes-gravity-air-resistance/A parachute is a safety device designed to slow down the speed of a falling object or person by creating drag and air resistance

https://kids.kiddle.co/Parachute
It consists of a canopy made of lightweight and durable material that is attached to the person or object with the help of suspension lines. When deployed, the canopy inflates and creates resistance against the air, which slows down the fall and allows for a safe landing

https://skydivecalifornia.com/blog/5-parachute-facts-types-parachutes/

- A parachute is a device used to slow down motion of objects which includes drag and has an aerodynamic lift. It is usually made of light but strong fabric typically nylon. A parachute is usually dome shaped but some are rectangular or round.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/parachute
 

A parachute is a tool used to decrease the speed at which a body falls vertically through the atmosphere or to lessen the speed of a horizontally moving object. By expanding the surface area of the body, the parachute enhances air resistance, ultimately slowing down the motion of the body.

Buoyancy

Buoyancy is the likeliness of objects to float in a fluid which includes liquids and gasses. Gravity is the opposite of buoyancy

So the parachute that would have a float would be exposed most to buoyant force allowing it to stay up in the air however the force of gravity would eventually push it down

The weight of the fluid replaced increases as a solid object is immersed deeper into afluid. Therefore, the buoyant force also increases. The maximum buoyant force is achieved when the entire solid object is fully submerged in the fluid.

https://parade.com/904524/marilynvossavant/why-do-skydivers-use-rectangular-parachutes/

square parachutes have far more forward movement. meaning that it would go far

https://www.skydive-safety.com/Articles-Basic-Aerodynamics.htm#:~:text=A%20round%20parachute%20creates%20drag,the%20fluid%20it%20moves%20in.

Square parachutes create lift which forces the air to go in one direction

However, Circle parachutes create drag by grabbing as much air as they can hold allowing slow decent

The Independent/Manipulated Variable 

-the different designs of the parachute.

Dependent/Responding Variable:

-effectiveness of the parachute design, which can be measured by descent speed, stability, and impact force.

Controlled Variables

1. Height of drop: We will drop each test subject from the same height which will be 6ft
2. The same weight for each test subject (human lego) we will make each test subject  3g by removing any additional accessories including hair parts
3.  Fabric of parachute: We will make each parachute with nylon fabric 
4. The amount of fabric  will be the same for each parachute (35  By 35 cm)
5.  length  of string = 30 cm
6. String attachment - We will hot glue the string to the parachute on the same spot accurately

Procedure

1. We will create different designs of parachutes with the cloth without cutting any pieces out. Instead, we will fold the pieces of fabric to get our preferred shape including attaching the strings 
2. We will tie the  other strings to the Lego humans
3. We will drop each subject one by one 
4. Before dropping it we will have a timer ready to see how much time it takes 
5. We will write down the amount of time on a piece of paper and see which parachute design  took the longest to land
6. We will then see which subject/ parachute took the most effect such as the distance and the landing as we are testing the effects of the design

Timing

the rectangle and pyramid parachute could not go very far without a good enough landing which would not help us meet our goal of getting the effects of both square and circle parachutes. Square parachutes are known for their advanced maneuverability and better control in the air, making them a popular choice for skydivers and base jumpers. They also have a greater forward speed because they create lift, which allows for a longer glide and more accurate landings. On the other hand, round parachutes are simpler and more reliable, making them a preferred choice for military and emergencies. Additionally, round parachutes have a softer landing due to their larger surface area, which helps to reduce the impact force on the user.  Furthermore, Round parachutes create drag allowing it to grab onto more air as the air would go inside. So we concluded that our best one is the slight folds as it met both of  the criteria

 .After doing 3 trials for each of our 3 prototypes we decided that In conclusion, the parachute with slight folds and slight curves was the best option as we wanted a parachute that had the effects of both a square and round parachute. Which for the round is staying up in the air because of drag and landing smoothly. By smoothly we mean that it slid down to its spot and did not just topple with a crash-landing. A slow and controlled descent contributes to a smooth landing for a few reasons. One of the main reasons is that it allows skydivers to maintain a stable and consistent angle of descent. Additionally if the descent is slow and steady, the pilot can maintain a consistent angle, which can lead to a smoother or soft landing when parachutes fall too quickly (the reason they would fall too quickly would be that there isn't enough air in the parachute), it can cause the skydiver to make sudden adjustments to the parachute's angle, which can result in a bumpy and uncomfortable landing.. Another reason why a slow descent is beneficial is that it allows the skydiver to better control the parachute's speed. Overall, a slow and controlled descent is an important factor in achieving a smooth landing. It allows the skydiver to maintain a stable angle of descent, control the plane's speed, and minimize the impact of the landing, which can make for a more comfortable and safe landing experience for everyone on board. Our expectation for a square is that it would create lift and \ allow it to stay up longer.

The objective of this experiment is to provide valuable insight to parachute designers to create more effective parachutes with improved landing safety. The experiment focuses on determining the best folding techniques that can be applied to the parachute design. By identifying the optimal folding patterns, designers can create parachutes that can float up smoothly and ensure a safe landing for the user. The results of this experiment can be utilized by designers to produce better and safer parachutes that can be used in various applications.

Sources of error

we noticed that the drop height was insufficient, resulting in less air entering the parachute and causing it to descend faster than our desired speed. Next time we want to drop it from an even higher height so that the parachutes would stay in the air longer. It would also help to time the drops more accurately because it would take  longer to drop allowing us to pause the timer at the correct time

Upon analyzing our experiment, we realized that the various ways in which we dropped each parachute produced different effects such as: falling into the wall or catching more air. Next time we will put marks on the sides to make sure we dropped it in the same way. After finishing our experiment we tested the parachute a few more times and realized the sides we dropped them each time were different

We also identified that some of the parachutes hit the wall, which caused them to lose buoyancy which is the likelihood of an object floating in a fluid in this case gas(Air) and fall faster than they would have if they hadn't collided with the wall. Next time we would have dropped it in an area without walls. However, we also notice that the parachutes that fell to the wall did it repeatedly probably because of the shape

Robin Koontz Parachute, Gravity and Air resistance https://kidsdiscover.com/teacherresources/parachutes-gravity-air-resistance/ August 7, 2014

Parachute facts for kids

https://kids.kiddle.co/Parachute

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "parachute". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/parachute. Accessed 29 February 2024.

https://byjus.com/physics/buoyant-force/#:~:text=Buoyancy%20is%20the%20tendency%20of,immersed%20in%20a%20static%20fluid.

https://byjus.com/question-answer/what-happens-to-the-buoyant-force-as-more-and-more-volume-of-a-solid-object/

We would like to thank

Adeena's brother for inspiring our big question.

Adeena's Dad suggested making our parachute design larger to increase its air-holding capacity.

A big thank you to our Moms for  keeping us on track as we worked towards finishing the science fair