Hello everyone, my name is Cedric Jade. Today, I’m excited to share my experience with the Great Egg Drop Challenge, where we explored the principles of physics through parachute design and egg safety.
Method:
1. Planning:
– After discussing the project with my classmates, we brainstormed ideas for designing a parachute that would keep an egg safe during a drop from a significant height.
2. Building:
– I gathered materials: a plastic bag, string, and a small egg. I cut the plastic bag into a circular shape and attached strings to its edges, creating the parachute. Then, I secured the egg in a small basket made from cardboard, which would be the egg’s protective casing.
3. Dropping:
– Our teacher did a practice drop before the real drop. They dropped it 4 feet. tho I was not there because I was at ESOL/MELIP during the real drop.
Results:
– My teammate told me that our parachute successfully protected the egg! It didn’t break upon landing.
Discussion:
During our experiment, I noticed that some parachutes fell faster than others. This can be explained by the concepts of forces, air resistance, and weight.
– Air Resistance: Parachutes create drag, which opposes the force of gravity. If a parachute is large enough, it will experience more air resistance and fall more slowly.
– Weight: The weight of the egg and the materials used for the parachute also affected the fall. Heavier parachutes did not have enough air resistance to slow their fall effectively, causing them to hit the ground faster.
When I dropped my parachute, the forces acting on it were unbalanced at first—gravity pulled it down while air resistance worked to slow it. However, once it opened, the air resistance became sufficient to balance the force of gravity, resulting in a slower descent.
Conclusion:
Overall, I think I have stuff to improve, such as adding a parachute design by experimenting with different shapes and materials. Perhaps using a larger fabric for the canopy or adding more strings for stability could enhance performance. Overall, the experiment was a success! It taught me a lot about physics and how design choices impact the outcome of an experiment.
This challenge was both fun and educational, and I look forward to trying out more variations in the future!
That is all for today
Thank You.