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Week 06 · Slow Drop

Monday

The slow drop challenge
// A parachute that falls slowly
⏱ about 20 min

Monday: The Slow Drop Challenge

Rocket drops a paper cup with two coins inside.

Thunk! It hits the floor in a blink.

"Too fast!" Rocket says. "Our cup needs a parachute."

Raven tilts her head. "What do you notice? Nothing slows it down."

Nova hovers. "Would you like a hint? Time it with a number."

The challenge

  • Goal: a parachute that makes the cup fall as slowly as possible.
  • The cup carries 2 coins.
  • A grown-up drops it from the same height every time.
  • We time the fall in seconds.
  • The coins must stay in the cup.

Many ideas

Engineers imagine many ideas, not just one.

Then they compare them to the goal.

Which idea will most likely work best?

IdeaWhat it looks like
Idea ANo parachute at all
Idea BA small paper napkin canopy
Idea CA big paper napkin canopy
COMPARE THE IDEAS
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which idea do you think is fastest to fall?
What must every idea do?
FAIR DROPS
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Why does the grown-up drop from the same height?
Draw your own parachute idea.

Slow means more seconds

We want a slow fall.

A slow fall takes more seconds.

So the winning parachute has the biggest number.

This time, a bigger number wins!

SLOW DROP THINKING
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
One cup falls in 1 second. One falls in 3. Which is slower?
Which idea do you think falls the slowest?
The coins fall out during a drop. Does it count?
RuleTrue or false?
A grown-up drops the cup every time.?
The cup carries 10 coins.?
We time the fall in seconds.?
Each drop can start at a new height.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEEvery parachute follows the same rules for a fair contest.
Try it
Count seconds out loud with a grown-up.
Say one and two and three slowly.
Practice until you both count at the same speed.

You imagined many ideas. Super thinking!

Tomorrow, we learn how air slows a fall.