FORCES IN ACTION

Grade 5Quarter 1

Essential Lab # 3

Forces in Action (Engage)

What will happen when the two objects being held up are dropped?Were your predictions correct? Will the same thing happen when any two objects are dropped at the same time? (piece of paper and a toy)What happened and why?Will balling up the paper affect how it drops?Will they land at the same time or different times and why?How the does the way the second paper fell relate to how a parachute works?

How does a parachute work?

A Parachute Drop (Engage)

Let’s observe a sample of one of the small parachutes that you will build in today’s lab in action.If we make a second parachute whose canopy is larger, will its larger size affect its drop rate? Today we will explore the relationship of parachute’s canopy size to its drop rate.

Forces in Action (Explore)

Problem Statement

Does the size of a parachute affect its drop rate? Does a smaller parachute drop at a faster or slower rate than a larger parachute?

Hypothesis

If two parachutes are released at the same time, one with all sides __(≤30) cm in length and one with all sides __(≤60) cm in length then the parachute with the _______ (choose smaller or larger) area will drop faster.

Forces in Action (Explore)

Materials

Plastic garbage bagsString - 8 pieces (≤ 50cm)RulerStopwatchPaper ClipTapeScissorsPermanent Marker

Variables

Test (manipulated) Variable:

Outcome (responding) Variable:

Constant Variables:

(Explore)

Procedures:

1. Make two square parachutes from a garbage bag with the following dimensions: a. The small square parachute should have all sides __ cm in

length. b. The large square parachute should have all sides __ cm in

length.

2. Measure the surface areas of both parachute canopies by multiplying length x width and record on data table.

3. Cut eight pieces of string __ cm in length for the two parachutes.

4. Attach one 50 cm string using transparent tape to each of the four corners of the small parachute canopy.

5. Bring the four strings of the small parachute canopy together and tie to a large paperclip (load).

Procedures Continued:

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the large parachute.

7. Determine a good launching site. 8. Drop each parachute one at a time from the same height and time their descents. The time should be rounded to the nearest second and recorded in the data table. 9. Repeat step 8 for two more trials. 10. Analyze the data.

Group DataDrop Time for Parachutes in

SecondsGroup  ______

Small Parachutesurface area

___sq.cm

Large Parachutesurface area ___sq.

cm

Trial 1    

Trial 2    

Trial 3    

Average

 Which parachute actually dropped slower in your group’s trial? Create a graph using the data collected from the three trials.

(Explore)

(Sample)Parachutes’ Drop Time

Small Large0

0.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.5

Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3

Num

ber o

f Se

cond

s

(Explain/Evaluate)

Class DataClass Drop Time Averages in Seconds

Group Number

Small Parachute Large Parachute

 1   

 2

   

 3

   

 4

   

 5

   

 6

   

How do your results compare to the other groups’ trials? What is the relationship between the size and the rate at which a parachute drops?

(Explain)

Conclusion

1. What was investigated?

2. Was your hypothesis supported by the data?

3. What were the major findings?

4. What possible explanations can you offer for your findings?

(Explain/Evaluate)

Application

1. How can the investigation be improved?

2. What are some possible applications of the experiment?

3. What questions has your experiment lead you to ask that could be tested in a new an investigation.

(Explain/Evaluate)

(Explain/Evaluate)