Parachute DropPhysics Olympics
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To construct a parachute that has to be dropped from the ceiling wasn't that easy. I was the team leader of this event and I researched the day before already in the Internet for some useful information.
The Physics Principles of the Parachute drop are Forces, Free Fall, Air Resistance, Terminal Velocity, Surface Area and Impulse.
I made at home a parachute model out of the materials that we were going to use on the next day. When I dropped my model I had to look how it falls and what I can do better that its going to stay longer in the air. There are two forces acting on the parachute. The forces are the force of gravity and the force of air resistance. Once the two forces are equal the diver (weight out paper) has reached terminal velocity and it will not proceed to fall any faster. When the parachute is released, the surface area of the diver is increased and the terminal velocity is at a much slower speed ensuring a safe landing.
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Gravity
According to Newton's second law:
Fgracity = mdiver ac due to gravity
The force of gravity is a constant acceleration of 9...