Parachute Investigation Essay Example
Research Question
How does the mass of the sandbag affect the amount of time the parachute takes to hit the ground?
Hypothesis
I predict that if the sandbag is lighter, the more time it will take for the parachute to reach the ground. The sail provides a drag pulling upwards to decrease the gravitational force that makes the sandbag fall, which is the mass times gravity. Thus, the lighter the sandbag, the less force there is pulling it downwards and, as a result, it travels slower and takes more time to reach the ground. According to Newton’s second law, F=ma, so as the mass gets lower both the acceleration and force will decrease.
Independent Variable
The independent variable is the weight of the sandbag. This variable will change in the experiment when we make different trials to test what weight of sand in the sandbag will make the parachute descend the slowest. The measuring device we will use is a scale and the unit of measurement is grams. I will 4 trials using 30 for the first 35g for the second trial, 45g for the third trial and 50g for the fourth trial.
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable will be the amount of time the parachute takes to hit the ground. This will be measured using a stopwatch. The units of measurement will be seconds.
Controlled Variables
Control Variable | Describe how you would keep this variable the same (controlled) | How is it measured andwith which measuringtool? | The length of the strings | I will keep this variable the same by measuring each string is equally the same by measuring 30cm (using a 1.2m string). If it weren’t controlled, the strings might get tangled up or the parachute will be tilted on one side and my results won’t be accurate | I will measure this by using a metre ruler | The height the parachute is dropped from | I will keep this variable the same by measuring and putting a mark where I will release the parachute. If it weren’t controlled, my results won’t be accurate because if
How does the mass of the sandbag affect the amount of time the parachute takes to hit the ground?
Hypothesis
I predict that if the sandbag is lighter, the more time it will take for the parachute to reach the ground. The sail provides a drag pulling upwards to decrease the gravitational force that makes the sandbag fall, which is the mass times gravity. Thus, the lighter the sandbag, the less force there is pulling it downwards and, as a result, it travels slower and takes more time to reach the ground. According to Newton’s second law, F=ma, so as the mass gets lower both the acceleration and force will decrease.
Independent Variable
The independent variable is the weight of the sandbag. This variable will change in the experiment when we make different trials to test what weight of sand in the sandbag will make the parachute descend the slowest. The measuring device we will use is a scale and the unit of measurement is grams. I will 4 trials using 30 for the first 35g for the second trial, 45g for the third trial and 50g for the fourth trial.
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable will be the amount of time the parachute takes to hit the ground. This will be measured using a stopwatch. The units of measurement will be seconds.
Controlled Variables
Control Variable | Describe how you would keep this variable the same (controlled) | How is it measured andwith which measuringtool? | The length of the strings | I will keep this variable the same by measuring each string is equally the same by measuring 30cm (using a 1.2m string). If it weren’t controlled, the strings might get tangled up or the parachute will be tilted on one side and my results won’t be accurate | I will measure this by using a metre ruler | The height the parachute is dropped from | I will keep this variable the same by measuring and putting a mark where I will release the parachute. If it weren’t controlled, my results won’t be accurate because if