How Does A Parachute Work?

It may seem that we could answer this question simply by saying that the huge piece of material hanging above us slows us down so we don’t hit the ground too hard. That would certainly be the truth. But there is a lot more to making sure that a parachute works correctly.

Parachuting is not a new activity, though it has become a popular pastime since the invention of the airplane. Not only that, parachutes are a key tool in the conduct of military activity, allowing men and material to be placed much more quickly than would be the case with ground transportation during war time.

So how does this parachute thing work? Let’s take a look at the word itself.

“Parachute” means “a folding, umbrella-like, fabric device with cords supporting a harness or straps for allowing a person, object, package, etc., to float down safely through the air from a great height, esp. from an aircraft, rendered effective by the resistance of the air that expands it during the descent and reduces the velocity of its fall.” (dictionary.com)

The two parts of the word break down like this: “para” is from the Greek and means “at the side of” or “slightly beyond.” The word “chute” is from the French language and roughly translates to “fall” or to move freely through a tube or track. So the word parachute was adopted to mean that we are almost falling but not quite. It’s something that is very close to falling, a controlled fall, if you will.

The parachute works because it creates resistance. If there wasn’t air resistance everything falling to earth from any height would come down at the same speed. The large expanse of material battles the molecules of air as we descend, slowing the rate of our fall. Consider too that if there was no air at all (vacuum) everything would fall at the same rate, even a large parachute with a person under it.

There is another factor to consider – mass. This is sometimes referred to as the weight of an object, but there are some other ways to think about mass. We have to consider the weight and density of the person under the parachute, just as we have to consider the weight and density of the material used. In addition, safe parachuting involves having an area of material that is large enough and shaped properly.

If all of these things are matched properly, the parachute material is pushed up by air that is caught under it as we come down. The material fills up with air, sort of like a balloon. Naturally, a larger parachute captures more air, so we have to consider the size and shape of the parachute in relation to the person using it. For basic purposes, just think of the fact that larger parachutes will cause the person to reach the ground more slowly than smaller parachutes. Sky-divers have experimented with many different shapes and sizes to change the rate at which they come down.

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