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Builder's Lab / Week 06 / Thursday
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Week 06 · Slow Drop

Thursday

Compare the canopies
// A parachute that falls slowly
⏱ about 20 min

Thursday: Compare the Canopies

Nova reads the times out loud.

"No parachute: under one second. Tiny canopy: one second."

Rocket frowns, then smiles. "It helped a little. We can improve it."

Raven unfolds the napkin flat. "What do you notice? It could be much bigger."

VersionCanopyFall time (seconds)
No parachuteNoneUnder 1
Rocket version 1Tiny folded square1

Find the problem

The tiny canopy did not catch much air.

It slowed the cup only a little.

The crew will change one thing: the canopy size.

READ THE TABLE
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Did the tiny canopy help at all?
WHICH CHANGE IS FAIR?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which plan changes only the canopy size?
What else must stay the same?
PLAN THE NEXT DROP
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
Draw your bigger canopy.

Three ideas, three results

On Monday, we had three ideas.

Idea A, no parachute, fell in under one second.

Rocket tried a tiny canopy. It took one second.

Idea C, the big canopy, is next.

COMPARE CAREFULLY
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What was the fall time with no parachute?
Why did the tiny canopy help only a little?
What do you guess the big canopy will do?
IdeaTrue or false?
Rocket gave up after version 1.?
The crew will keep the same cup and coins.?
The drop height can change for version 2.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEKeeping things the same makes the comparison fair.

Comparing helps engineers choose the best idea!

Tomorrow, we drop version 2.

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