Mars Rover Challenge Post workshop materials What we are going to do... In The Mars Rover Challenge...

Mars Rover ChallengeMars Rover Challenge

Post workshop materialsPost workshop materials

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

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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?

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Click here for animation of Curiosity descent

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

Parachutes in space 1Parachutes in space 1

Real image of Curiosity’s parachute taken from Mars orbit

Artist’s impression of Curiosity on Mars

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KLxmGLZQSY

Parachutes in space 2Parachutes in space 2The 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!

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Parachutes in space 2Parachutes in space 2

Click here for a video of the Soyuz capsule returning to Earth

1. The Soyuz rocket on its

way to the ISS

2. The ISS in its orbit 350 km above the Earth

3. Soyuz capsule

returning to Earth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2X2kaqYatI&hd=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2X2kaqYatI&hd=1

Parachutes on EarthParachutes on Earth• Parachutes are used on Earth for skydiving• Why is it important for skydivers to use parachutes?

Click here for footage of a world record skydive in 2012

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCYtYrPT7DE&hd=1

Test your understanding!

How much do you know about forces?

Jump to a level!

• Level 2 question


• Level 4 questions





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How do parachutes work?How do parachutes work?

End of Level 2Back to contents

• 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!



• 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


Level 4

• There are two forces acting on this skydiver• Draw two arrows to correctly show these forces

Click here to reveal

the answer!


Level 4

• These arrows show the two forces acting on the skydiver


Level 4

• Can you name force A?

A

B

• Can you name force B?

Click here to reveal the answers!

How do parachutes work?How do parachutes work?• Can you name force A?

FORCE A IS FORCE A IS AIR AIR RESISTANCERESISTANCE(or (or FRICTIONFRICTION))

A

B

• Can you name force B?

FORCE B IS FORCE B IS WEIGHTWEIGHT(or (or GRAVITYGRAVITY))



Level 5

• When a skydiver first falls out of an aeroplane, they speed up.• Which statement is correct?

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

• 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!

How do parachutes work?How do parachutes work?• Finally, when the skydiver is approaching the ground, they are travelling at a constant speed.• Which statement is correct?

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




Level 6

• 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?

Did you know...?

Terminal velocity for a human is about 320

km/h (200 mph)

Click here to reveal the answer!


Level 6

• 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

Put these diagrams showing the forces on a skydiver into the correct order

Click here to reveal the answer!

A B C D E


Level 6

Here’s the correct order!

C DE A B


Level 6

C DE A B

Which letters show...The skydiver accelerating?The skydiver decelerating?The skydiver moving at a constant speed?



Level 6

C DE A B

Which letters show...

The skydiver accelerating? E, CE, CThe skydiver decelerating? D DThe skydiver moving at a constant speed? A, BA, B



• On Mars, the atmosphere is about one hundredth as thick as the atmosphere on Earth

• Can you predict how this will affect a parachute?

a) The parachute will be more effective

c) The parachute will be just as effective

b) The parachute will be less effective



Level 7

• 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...(a)Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance(b)Increasing the speed of the object increases air resistance



Level 7

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

How do parachutes work?How do parachutes work?2. Also explain, in terms of particles, why...(a)Increasing the size of a parachute increases air resistance(b)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 ENERGYThis 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 FORCESThis 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


End of Level 8: Back to contents

• 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

1. Evaluate the pros and cons of this method2. Design your own method to safely land a rover on the surface of Mars

Congratulations!• You have completed your

investigation into parachutes

• What have you learnt today?

Click here or press Esc to exit

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Mars Rover Challenge Post workshop materials What we are going to do... In The Mars Rover Challenge...

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