1. Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
What we are going to do...
We are going to discuss how parachutes work, to learn about forces

2. Parachutes in space 1 Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Curiosity rover
NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars on 6th August 2012
The rover is a robot the size of a Mini Cooper
A parachute was used (as well as booster rockets) to slow the descent of Curiosity onto the surface of Mars
Click here for animation of Curiosity descent
Real image of Curiosity’s parachute taken from Mars orbit
Artist’s impression of Curiosity on Mars

3. Parachutes in space 2 Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre The Soyuz capsule
Since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttles in 2011, the only way astronauts can reach the International Space Station (ISS) is by the Russian Soyuz rocket
The Soyuz capsule (containing 3 astronauts) returns to Earth from the ISS by using a parachute to slow it down
The capsule actually crash lands on solid ground!

4. Parachutes in space 2 2. The ISS in its orbit 350 km above the Earth
1. The Soyuz rocket on its way to the ISS
3. Soyuz capsule returning to Earth
Click here for a video of the Soyuz capsule returning to Earth

5. Parachutes on Earth Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
Parachutes are used on Earth for skydiving
Why is it important for skydivers to use parachutes?
Click here for footage of a world record skydive in 2012

6. Test your understanding!
Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre
How much do you know about forces?
Jump to a level!
Level 2 question
Level 3 question
Level 4 questions
Level 5 questions
Level 6 questions
Level 7 questions
Level 8 question

7. How do parachutes work? Both these people are falling through the air
But who do you think is falling faster?
Click on a picture to see if you are right!
End of Level 2
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8. How do parachutes work?
How would you describe what happens when a parachute is opened?
Click on a sentence to see if you are right!
When a parachute is opened...
a) The object speeds up
b) The object slows down
c) The object falls at the same speed
d) The object flies upwards
End of Level 3
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9. Click here to reveal the answer!
How do parachutes work?
There are two forces acting on this skydiver
Draw two arrows to correctly show these forces
Click here to reveal the answer!
Level 4

10. How do parachutes work?
These arrows show the two forces acting on the skydiver
Level 4

11. Click here to reveal the answers!
How do parachutes work?
Can you name force A? A
Can you name force B?
Click here to reveal the answers! B
Level 4

12. FORCE A IS AIR RESISTANCE
How do parachutes work?
Can you name force A?
FORCE A IS AIR RESISTANCE
(or FRICTION) A
Can you name force B?
FORCE B IS WEIGHT
(or GRAVITY) B
End of Level 4
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13. How do parachutes work?
When a skydiver first falls out of an aeroplane, they speed up.
Which statement is correct?
Click on a sentence to see if you are right!
b) The forces are unbalanced
(air resistance is more than weight)
a) The forces are unbalanced
(air resistance is less than weight)
c) The forces are balanced
Level 5

14. How do parachutes work?
When a skydiver pulls their parachute they slow down.
Which picture correctly shows the forces acting on the skydiver?
Click on a picture to see if you are right!
Level 5

15. How do parachutes work?
Finally, when the skydiver is approaching the ground, they are travelling at a constant speed.
Which statement is correct?
Click on a sentence to see if you are right!
a) The forces are unbalanced
(air resistance is more than weight)
b) The forces are unbalanced
(air resistance is less than weight)
c) The forces are balanced
End of Level 5
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16. Click here to reveal the answer!
How do parachutes work?
When a skydiver first falls out of an aeroplane, they accelerate.
Eventually they will reach a top speed called terminal velocity.
What does this tell you about the relationship between air resistance and speed?
Click here to reveal the answer!
Did you know...?
Terminal velocity for a human is about 320 km/h (200 mph)
Level 6

17. How do parachutes work?
The faster you travel, the more air resistance increases
This is because you have to move more air out of the way per second
As the skydiver’s speed increases their air resistance increases until is it equal to their weight
Now the two forces are balanced and the skydiver travels at a constant speed (their terminal velocity)
Level 6

18. Click here to reveal the answer!
How do parachutes work?
Put these diagrams showing the forces on a skydiver into the correct order A B C D E
Click here to reveal the answer!
Level 6

19. How do parachutes work?
Here’s the correct order! D B A C E
Level 6

20. Click here to reveal the answers!
How do parachutes work? D B A C E
Which letters show...
The skydiver accelerating?
The skydiver decelerating?
The skydiver moving at a constant speed?
Click here to reveal the answers!
Level 6

21. How do parachutes work? D B A C E Which letters show...
The skydiver accelerating? E, C
The skydiver decelerating? D
The skydiver moving at a constant speed? A, B
Level 6

22. How do parachutes work?
On Mars, the atmosphere is about one hundredth as thick as the atmosphere on Earth
Can you predict how this will affect a parachute?
Click on a sentence to see if you are right!
a) The parachute will be more effective
b) The parachute will be less effective
c) The parachute will be just as effective
End of Level 6
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23. Click here to reveal the answers!
How do parachutes work?
Consider the particles in a gas
1. Use idea of particles to explain why an object moving through air feels air resistance
2. Also explain, in terms of particles, why...
Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance
Increasing the speed of the object increases air resistance
Click here to reveal the answers!
Level 7

24. How do parachutes work?
1. Use idea of particles to explain why an object moving through air feels air resistance
IN TERMS OF ENERGY
Gas particles have a high amount of kinetic energy (they move quickly)
As the parachute moves through air, it must move the gas particles out of the way; this requires energy
This energy comes from the kinetic energy of the parachute, so the parachute loses kinetic energy to the gas particles
IN TERMS OF FORCES
Each time the parachute’s particles make contact with a gas particle, it is like a tiny collision
Each gas particle acts upon the parachute with a small force
All together, these tiny forces create a large force opposing the motion of the parachute
Level 7

25. How do parachutes work? 2. Also explain, in terms of particles, why...
Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance
Increasing the speed of the object increases air resistance
You must have made reference to particles in your answer
You might have included some of these ideas in your answer...
Both increasing the size of the parachute and the speed of the object means that you have to move more gas particles out of the way per second.
IN TERMS OF ENERGY
This will increase the amount of energy required to move the gas particles out of the way, reducing the kinetic energy of the parachute even more.
IN TERMS OF FORCES
This will increase the number of collisions between parachute and gas particles every second, increasing the size of your opposing force.
End of Level 7: Back to contents

26. How do parachutes work?
NASA’s Curiosity rover used a parachute to slow its descent into the Martian atmosphere
The Lander then hovered using booster rockets, before lowering the rover on a cable to the surface
End of Level 8: Back to contents

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