EDUCATOR SECTION 103

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CONTENTS

Topic Page
Simple Introduction to Drag Force 2
Falling Objects and Air Resistance 3
Parachute LAB 4
STUDENT WORKSHEET: Parachute LAB 5-7
Sample Data Graph for Parachute Fall 8
Air Density Discussion 9
Air Density vs. Altitude LAB 10
STUDENT WORKSHEETS: Sample Page from Interactive
Atmosphere Simulator, Student Procedure, and Graph Paper 11-12

National Science Standards: National Math Standards:

Science as Inquiry Problem Solving
Physical Science Reasoning
Position & Motion of Objects Connections
Unifying Concepts and Processes Computation & Estimation
Change, Constancy, & Measurement
Evidence, Models, & Explanation
Science and Technology
Understanding about Science & Technology

Subjects Activities Content

Earth Science 1. Air Density vs. Altitude Variation of atmospheric density
with altitude
Mathematics 1. Parachute Lab Graphing; rate of fall; line shape
2. Air Density vs. Altitude Graphing; variation of density with
altitude
Physical Science 1. Parachute Lab Air resistance; rate of fall; graphing
2. Air Density vs. Altitude Variation of density with altitude;
graphing

103-1
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Simple Introduction to Drag Force

A rocket (as well as any object moving through the air) encounters forces due to the interaction
with air molecules. Air is a ‘fluid’
that must get out of the way of the
moving object, just as water must get
out of the way of a boat. It takes
energy to ‘push’ the air out of the
way. And as the air slides along and
past the surface of the object, it
creates different types of ‘drag.’
Drag is a force, just as thrust is a
force, but it opposes motion.

Drag can show up as friction along

the surface or when the air
streamlines separate from the
object’s surface as shown in the
picture on the left. The turbulent
wake contributes to the overall drag
on the rocket.

For an excellent, in-depth discussion

of drag and related topics, see the
following website:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-
12/airplane/drag1.html
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Falling Objects and Air Resistance

When Galileo performed his famous experiment1, dropping

two objects of unequal weight, he showed that objects
accelerate towards the Earth at the same rate. All objects
accelerate towards the Earth at 9.8 meters per second per
second (9.8 m/s2) or, in English units, 32.2 feet per second
per second (32.2 ft/sec2).

These numbers can be read as: every second, the object’s

speed increases by 9.8 meters per second (about 22 mph).
Thus, after 2 seconds, we expect the object to be moving at 2
x 9.8 meters per second or 19.6 meters per second. After 3
seconds it will be traveling at 29.4 meters per second, and so
on.

However, this is strictly true only in a vacuum. Air resistance, in the form of drag, does in fact
interfere with how quickly objects fall.

An easy experiment to show this is to take two equal sheets of paper. Crush one piece tightly;
wrinkle the second very slightly. Release both from the same height at the same time. Although
they weigh the same, the crushed paper hits the floor first because the wrinkled paper has too
much air resistance (drag)
.
As objects fall through the air, the drag increases with the speed. The exact equation relating
drag and speed depends on the object’s shape and surface area. At some point during its fall, the
drag on the object becomes so large that it equals the pull of gravity. At that speed, the object
stops accelerating (although it is still falling) and it reaches what is called its “terminal velocity.”
A typical skydiver falls at speeds from 90-160 mph depending on whether he dives with arms
and legs spread out (maximum drag) or with arms and legs held tight against his body
(presenting minimum cross-sectional area for minimum drag). In 1960, Capt. Joseph Kittinger
parachuted from a helium balloon at an altitude of just over 102,000 feet (wearing a helmet and
breathing apparatus). He reached an estimated speed of 614 mph (just below the speed of
sound). Why do you think he was able to reach such a high speed at that altitude?

1
Galileo may not have actually performed this experiment; it may have been more of a rhetorical device to support
his arguments.
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Parachute LAB

Objective:
Conduct an experiment in which you observe drag as a function of the area of a parachute.
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Science Standards: Mathematics Standards:

Science As Inquiry Problem Solving
Physical Science Reasoning
Position & Motion Of Objects Number & Number Relationships
Properties Of Objects And Materials Computation & Estimation
Unifying Concepts & Processes Patterns & Functions
Change, Constancy, & Measurement Measurement
Evidence, Models & Explanation
Science & Technology
Abilities Of Technological Design
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Materials:
1. Scissors
2. Cellophane Tape
3. Stop Watch
4. Ruler (Metric or English)
5. String (about 100 cm)
6. Pencil (Unsharpened…it will be our “parachutist.”)
7. Plastic bags. [Preferably very thin; plastic grocery bags are good for the small ‘chutes.
For the larger ‘chutes, large plastic bags from some department stores are lightweight.
Even better are (undamaged) dry cleaning bags.]

Management:
This experiment works well with groups of two or three. Allow about 40 minutes to complete
the lab. The graph can be completed in class if there is time, or it may be assigned for
homework.
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STUDENT WORKSHEET: Parachute LAB

Student Procedure:
1. Choose a set height (at least 2 meters; higher is better) from which to drop the pencil and
parachute. One student should drop the object while another times the falls and records
the parachute area and times on the DATA SHEET (Page 7).
2. Drop the pencil (alone) from the chosen height; the area of the parachute will be zero.
This will be our control.
3. From the plastic bags cut out these sizes:
a. 10 cm x 10 cm (about 4 inches square)
b. 20 cm x 20 cm (about 8 inches square)
c. 30 cm x 40 cm (about 12” x 16”)
d. 50 cm x 50 cm (about 20” x 20”)
4. Cut the string into FOUR lengths of about 25 cm each.
5. Use a small piece of tape to secure the end of one string to one corner of the 10 x 10
parachute.
6. Tape the second string to the second corner, the third string to the third corner, and the
fourth string to the fourth corner of the 10 x 10 parachute.
7. Collect the strings (making sure they are not tangled) and tape the free ends of all four
strings to one end of the pencil.
8. Drop the parachute from the selected height and time the fall. Before you release the
parachute, be sure it is open and free from tangles.
9. Enter the time of the fall and the area of the parachute in the DATA SHEET on Page 7.
10. Repeat two more times, and enter those times in columns 2 and 3 of the data sheet.
Calculate the Average time for the experiment and enter the result in column 4.
11. Remove the string from the 10 x 10 parachute and reattach the strings to the four corners
of the 20 x 20 parachute. Be sure the strings are free from tangles.
12. Drop the parachute from the selected height and time the fall. Before you release the
parachute, be sure it is open and free from tangles.
13. Enter the time of the fall and the area of this 2nd parachute in the data sheet.
14. Repeat the procedure two more times, and enter those times in columns 2 and 3 of the
data sheet for the new Area. Calculate the Average time for the experiment and enter the
result in column 4.
15. Repeat the process for the 30 x 40 parachute and the 50 x 50 parachute and enter the data
in the Data Sheet.
16. Use the enclosed sheet of graph paper to plot your data. The Independent variable is the
Area; the dependent variable is the Average Time. You must scale the vertical side of the
graph (Average Time to Fall).
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Post-Experiment Questions:

1. Why did you drop the pencil several times for each parachute?

2. Should all the drops be from the same height? Why?

3. What is the disadvantage of dropping from a low height?

4. Describe the shape of the line of the graph produced in your experiment.
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DATA SHEET
Time of Time of Time of Average
Fall 1 Fall 2 Fall 3 Time Area of Parachute
(seconds) (seconds) (seconds) (seconds) (cm2)

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
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Sample Data Graph for Parachute Fall

Below is a sample of a graph of Time vs. Area for three different sized parachutes attached to
a pencil. All were dropped from a height of 2 meters.

Time to Fall versus Area of

Parachute
2
Time (seconds)

1.5

0.5

0
0 500 1000 1500
Area of Parachute (square cm)
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Air Density

Density is the amount of material contained in a set volume. The amount of material is
quantified by using its mass, in kilograms or grams. The volume is given in cubic meters
(m3) or cubic centimeters (cc). Specifically,

Units are either: kilograms per cubic meter = kg/m3

grams per cubic centimeter = g/cc

For comparison, here are densities of some common materials. Note especially the density
of air and the density of water:

Material Density Density

(g/cc) (kg/m3)
Air 0.00129 1.29
Water 1.00 1000
Aluminum 2.70 2700
Lead 11.3 11,300
Gold 19.3 19,300

Air density (the total mass of air molecules in a given volume) greatly affects drag. Why?
Compare air to water: water is very dense compared to air (nearly 800 times as dense) and
water is more difficult to move through. For example, try running through waist-high water
and compare that to running on dry ground. We may not notice small changes in air density
as we run. However, objects that move very fast and must push the air away quickly, such as
jets and rockets, do feel a difference in small air density changes. Which of the following
containers has the denser concentration of air molecules (the small red dots), A or B?

Container A Container B
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Air Density vs. Altitude LAB

Objectives:
1. Generate a data table from an interactive atmosphere model.
2. Create a graph of Density vs. Altitude from a data table.
3. Discuss the relationship between altitude and air density.

Prerequisites:
Ability to graph

Science Standards: Mathematics Standards:

Science As Inquiry Reasoning
Physical Science Connections
Change, Constancy, & Measurement Number and Number Relationships
Science And Technology Patterns and Functions

Materials:
1. Tabular or note paper to record data.
2. Graph paper to plot data (sample below).
3. Website: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/atmosi.html
Operate real-time or download the Interactive Atmosphere Simulator.
4. Website: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/space/atmosphere.html
Contains background information.

Management:
This activity should take about 40 minutes. It has two parts. In Part one, students collect the
data and create the data table (about 20 minutes). In Part two, students graph their results (15-20
minutes). Discussion after the activity will lead the students to observe the trend in their graphs.
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STUDENT WORKSHEET: Sample Page from Interactive Atmosphere Simulator

Metric Units

Meters

m/sec

Density 4.534 m3

Student Procedure:
1. Open the website http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/atmosi.html. You can
use the Simulator directly from the site, or you can download the executable file.
2. Choose either English or Metric units in the upper righthand corner of the display.
3. In the box marked Output select Density.
4. Click and hold the airplane. You should be able to move it vertically. As it moves, the
altitude will register on the display.
5. Start with zero (0) altitude and record both Altitude and Density in your data table. The
Independent Variable is the Altitude. (This is the “manipulated” variable.) Write this in
the first column of data. Density is the “measured,” or dependent variable.
6. Select the altitudes by adjusting the height of the airplane, and record the Density for
each altitude selected. Maximum altitude should be 100,000 feet, or 30,480 meters. If
you are using metric units, limit the maximum altitude to 30,000 meters so that scaling on
the graph for the x-axis will be easier. If desired, enter the 30,000 meters manually by
highlighting the altitude numbers, replacing 30,480 with 30,000 and hitting Enter.
7. After the data table is completed on tabular or note paper, write the ranges on the graph
paper.
8. Enter the data: Altitude should be the x-axis, with Density plotted on the y-axis.
9. After completion, draw a smooth line through the data points. Do not simply “connect the
dots.” Describe the line (straight or curved).
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Graph Paper