Mars Rover Challenge Post workshop materials

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre What we are going to do... In The Mars Rover Challenge workshop you built your own parachute device to land a robot on the surface of Mars We are going to discuss how parachutes work, to learn about forces Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Your parachutes How did your parachute affect the way your egg dropped? What made the best parachute? What made the worst parachute? How would you improve your parachute if you did it again? Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Parachutes in space 1 Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Curiosity rover NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars on 6th August 2012 The rover is a robot the size of a Mini Cooper A parachute was used (as well as booster rockets) to slow the descent of Curiosity onto the surface of Mars Click here for animation of Curiosity descent Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Real image of Curiosity’s parachute taken from Mars orbit Artist’s impression of Curiosity on Mars

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Parachutes in space 2 Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre The Soyuz capsule Since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttles in 2011, the only way astronauts can reach the International Space Station (ISS) is by the Russian Soyuz rocket The Soyuz capsule (containing 3 astronauts) returns to Earth from the ISS by using a parachute to slow it down The capsule actually crash lands on solid ground! Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Parachutes in space 2 2. The ISS in its orbit 350 km above the Earth 1. The Soyuz rocket on its way to the ISS 3. Soyuz capsule returning to Earth Click here for a video of the Soyuz capsule returning to Earth

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Parachutes on Earth Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Parachutes are used on Earth for skydiving Why is it important for skydivers to use parachutes? Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Click here for footage of a world record skydive in 2012

Test your understanding! Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre How much do you know about forces? Jump to a level! Level 2 question Level 3 question Level 4 questions Level 5 questions Level 6 questions Level 7 questions Level 8 question Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

How do parachutes work? Both these people are falling through the air But who do you think is falling faster? Click on a picture to see if you are right! End of Level 2 Back to contents

How do parachutes work? How would you describe what happens when a parachute is opened? Click on a sentence to see if you are right! When a parachute is opened... a) The object speeds up b) The object slows down c) The object falls at the same speed d) The object flies upwards End of Level 3 Back to contents

Click here to reveal the answer! How do parachutes work? There are two forces acting on this skydiver Draw two arrows to correctly show these forces Click here to reveal the answer! Level 4

How do parachutes work? These arrows show the two forces acting on the skydiver Level 4

Click here to reveal the answers! How do parachutes work? Can you name force A? A Can you name force B? Click here to reveal the answers! B Level 4

FORCE A IS AIR RESISTANCE How do parachutes work? Can you name force A? FORCE A IS AIR RESISTANCE (or FRICTION) A Can you name force B? FORCE B IS WEIGHT (or GRAVITY) B End of Level 4 Back to contents

How do parachutes work? When a skydiver first falls out of an aeroplane, they speed up. Which statement is correct? Click on a sentence to see if you are right! b) The forces are unbalanced (air resistance is more than weight) a) The forces are unbalanced (air resistance is less than weight) c) The forces are balanced Level 5

How do parachutes work? When a skydiver pulls their parachute they slow down. Which picture correctly shows the forces acting on the skydiver? Click on a picture to see if you are right! Level 5

How do parachutes work? Finally, when the skydiver is approaching the ground, they are travelling at a constant speed. Which statement is correct? Click on a sentence to see if you are right! a) The forces are unbalanced (air resistance is more than weight) b) The forces are unbalanced (air resistance is less than weight) c) The forces are balanced End of Level 5 Back to contents

Click here to reveal the answer! How do parachutes work? When a skydiver first falls out of an aeroplane, they accelerate. Eventually they will reach a top speed called terminal velocity. What does this tell you about the relationship between air resistance and speed? Click here to reveal the answer! Did you know...? Terminal velocity for a human is about 320 km/h (200 mph) Level 6

How do parachutes work? The faster you travel, the more air resistance increases This is because you have to move more air out of the way per second As the skydiver’s speed increases their air resistance increases until is it equal to their weight Now the two forces are balanced and the skydiver travels at a constant speed (their terminal velocity) Level 6

Click here to reveal the answer! How do parachutes work? Put these diagrams showing the forces on a skydiver into the correct order A B C D E Click here to reveal the answer! Level 6

How do parachutes work? Here’s the correct order! D B A C E Level 6

Click here to reveal the answers! How do parachutes work? D B A C E Which letters show... The skydiver accelerating? The skydiver decelerating? The skydiver moving at a constant speed? Click here to reveal the answers! Level 6

How do parachutes work? D B A C E Which letters show... The skydiver accelerating? E, C The skydiver decelerating? D The skydiver moving at a constant speed? A, B Level 6

How do parachutes work? On Mars, the atmosphere is about one hundredth as thick as the atmosphere on Earth Can you predict how this will affect a parachute? Click on a sentence to see if you are right! a) The parachute will be more effective b) The parachute will be less effective c) The parachute will be just as effective End of Level 6 Back to contents

Click here to reveal the answers! How do parachutes work? Consider the particles in a gas 1. Use idea of particles to explain why an object moving through air feels air resistance 2. Also explain, in terms of particles, why... Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance Increasing the speed of the object increases air resistance Click here to reveal the answers! Level 7

How do parachutes work? 1. Use idea of particles to explain why an object moving through air feels air resistance You must have made reference to particles in your answer You might have included some of these ideas in your answer... IN TERMS OF ENERGY Gas particles have a high amount of kinetic energy (they move quickly) As the parachute moves through air, it must move the gas particles out of the way; this requires energy This energy comes from the kinetic energy of the parachute, so the parachute loses kinetic energy to the gas particles IN TERMS OF FORCES Each time the parachute’s particles make contact with a gas particle, it is like a tiny collision Each gas particle acts upon the parachute with a small force All together, these tiny forces create a large force opposing the motion of the parachute Level 7

How do parachutes work? 2. Also explain, in terms of particles, why... Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance Increasing the speed of the object increases air resistance You must have made reference to particles in your answer You might have included some of these ideas in your answer... Both increasing the size of the parachute and the speed of the object means that you have to move more gas particles out of the way per second. IN TERMS OF ENERGY This will increase the amount of energy required to move the gas particles out of the way, reducing the kinetic energy of the parachute even more. IN TERMS OF FORCES This will increase the number of collisions between parachute and gas particles every second, increasing the size of your opposing force. End of Level 7: Back to contents

How do parachutes work? Evaluate the pros and cons of this method NASA’s Curiosity rover used a parachute to slow its descent into the Martian atmosphere The Lander then hovered using booster rockets, before lowering the rover on a cable to the surface Evaluate the pros and cons of this method Design your own method to safely land a rover on the surface of Mars End of Level 8: Back to contents

Click here or press Esc to exit slideshow Congratulations! Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre You have completed your investigation into parachutes What have you learnt today? Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Click here or press Esc to exit slideshow

Click here to return to the previous slide Correct! Well done! Click here to return to the previous slide

Click here to return to the previous slide Whoops! Try again! Click here to return to the previous slide