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For ages 6 and older.
If something falls or is dropped, it heads toward Earth. But why?
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) thought about why objects on Earth drop
down when they fall. Gravity is a force that causes objects to fall
toward the ground. Newton studied and learned a lot about gravity.
In this activity, you will investigate whether your parachute will
overcome gravity.
You will need
- 5-by-5-inch plastic sheet (cut from a small plastic bag)
- 4 pieces of thin string, each 6 inches long
- small paper cup (not wax coated)
- masking tape
- pencil or crayon
What to do
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Write your initials on the bottom of your cup. Place the plastic
sheet flat on a table. Tape a piece of string to each corner of
the sheet.
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Tape the string ends to the rim of the cup. Make sure the string
pieces are an equal distance apart from each other.
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You made a parachute! Pick it up by pinching the top center of
the plastic. Hold your parachute as high above your head as you
can, and drop your parachute in front of you. Watch it. Does it
go up or down?
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Now it is time to experiment. What happens if the parachute is
dropped from a greater height? Ask a grown-up to drop the
parachute for you. Does it go up or down? Why do you think you
got the results you did?
Learning More
Janice VanCleave's Gravity
by Janice Pratt VanCleave. Wiley, 1993.
Features 20 simple experiments and projects that allow children to
explore the concept of gravity.
On a Flying Guitar (sound recording)
by Steve Roslonek. SteveSongs, 2000.
Includes a song on gravity.
Aviation and Space Education Outreach Program
www.faa.gov/education/curric/prekite.cfm
Describes an activity that demonstrates how a kite flies.
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Newton and Gravity
Many years ago, people didn't understand why things fell
downward and why the planets orbited the sun. Newton
helped people understand that gravity is the force that
holds us on Earth, causes objects to fall toward Earth,
holds the moon in its orbit around Earth, and holds the
planets in their orbits around the sun. Though it is a
weak force (otherwise we would be sucked into Earth), it
has played a big role in shaping the universe.
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