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Why does a parachutist fall slowly to the ground when his parachute opens?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
A parachute works on the principle of 'air resistance'. To understand this principle, try two things. Drop a stone and drop a feather from a certain height. You will see that the stone plummets down instantly, while the feather kind of floats down. When an object falls through the air, it basically creates a path by pushing aside the atoms and molecules in the air. A stone, with its heavy mass, has no problem doing this and so drops to the ground quickly. But a feather, which has little mass and a larger surface area, finds it harder to shove aside the atoms and molecules and this interference slows down its downward fall. This is exactly how a parachute operates - getting the air molecules to slow down the fall and thus make it safer.
A parachute is packed in a deployment bag or D-bag. The D-bag is placed in a container which is secured by a closing pin. Packing a parachute correctly is very important - when deployed the parachute must unfold in a dependable and systematic way, without twisting or tangling the lines, and at an unhurried pace - if it opens too fast, the sudden decrease in speed can hurt the parachutist and there is also a chance of the equipment getting damaged. For this reason, specially trained and certified people are required to pack parachutes. And parachutes not often in use need to be unpacked and refolded regularly to keep them in good order.
BY ALBERT ALMARALBERT_ALMAR@Yahoo.COM
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What happens to the air resistance as the parachute opens?
Air resistance will increase when the parachute opens, and the decent of the skydiver will slow down.
A 500-N parachutist opens his chute and experiences an air resistance force of 800 N The net force on the parachutist is?
300 N upward
Why does a person loss speed if he opens parachute?
The parachute will increase air resistance, compared to the person alone.
What makes a person slow down when their parachute opens?
force
What is the name of the force that changes when the parachute opens?
When the parachute opens gravity stays the same. The force that changes is the air resistance. Air resistance is usually calculated using the drag calculation.
Does a parachutist considered as a free falling object?
Yes, then not really, then definitely not: * Yes ... immediately after jumping. * Not really ... once terminal velocity is reached. * Definitely not ... after the parachute opens.
What will happen if a parachutist opens its parachute before reaching its terminal velocity?
During free fall, the parachutist reaches a terminal velocity (a constant velocity) of somewhere between 120 and 180 miles per hour. (If you go feet first, you go faster than if you lie on your back or front). When the parachute opens (hopefully), the terminal speed is reduced to around 12 miles/hour.
What happens to the air resistance as the parachute opens?
Air resistance will increase when the parachute opens, and the decent of the skydiver will slow down.
How far above the ground is the sky diver when he opens his parachute A skydiver jumps from an airplane 1000.0 m above the ground He waits for 8.0 s and the opens his parachute?
1/2 g t2. 1/2 x 9.81m/s2 x 64 9.81 x 32 313.92m. 1000-313.92=686.08
A 500-N parachutist opens his chute and experiences an air resistance force of 800 N The net force on the parachutist is?
300 N upward
Why does a parachutist not accelerate as he falls?
You do, with a speed of 9.81m/s2 (Ignoring air resistance). When the parachute opens, the air resistance becomes very high, and so you decelerate to a certain speed (depending many different factors like air pressure and height.).
What is a ripcord?
A ripcord is the part of a parachute pulled when the jumper is in the air to deploy the parachute canopy. (i.e., It opens the parachute when pulled)
What happens immediately after skydiver opens her parachute?
When her parachute opens, the air resistance increases. Now there is a resultant force going upwards on the parachute. The increase in air resistance occurs because when the parachute is opened there is a much larger surface area (than before) so the particles of air are much more likely to get 'caught up' in the parachute unable to pass easily, therefore creating more air resistance (an upwards force) and so slowing down the parachutist. NOTE: The parachutist does NOT move upwards after the parachute has opened, they just slow down. This effect comes from when a parachutist with a camera is filming opposite, they are still falling rapidly while the other person's parachute has opened, therefore passing them as they continue to freefall, and so the parachutist opposite appears to move upwards after opening the parachute.
Why does a person loss speed if he opens parachute?
The parachute will increase air resistance, compared to the person alone.
What makes a person slow down when their parachute opens?
force
What is the name of the force that changes when the parachute opens?
When the parachute opens gravity stays the same. The force that changes is the air resistance. Air resistance is usually calculated using the drag calculation.
Do you go up when you open your parachute?
Yes, you do. When a parachute deploys in mid air on the way down to the ground you go up. Only because when you are moving down the wind is moving up from you. So when the parachute opens and the wind is cought then the wind (going up) pushes the parachute up but only for a little while beause eventually gravity will take control.
