Do you ever wonder how things move in the air? For example, why does a parachute descend slowly when a skydiver releases it? Or, why do you feel a push of air on your palm, when you take out your hand from a moving car window. It’s because of something called air resistance. Air resistance is what happens when something moves through the air and pushes against the air particles around it. In this blog post, we’ll talk about how to demonstrate air resistance and what causes it. Keep reading to learn more!
WHAT IS AIR RESISTANCE
Air resistance is a type of friction that slows down objects as they move through the air. It happens because air molecules collide with the surface of the object, which makes it harder for the object to move. The amount of resistance depends on the shape of the object, the size of the object, and how fast it is moving. For example, a small object like a feather has less air resistance than a large object like a car. And an object that is moving slowly has less air resistance than an object that is moving quickly. When an object falls, air resistance increases as its speed increases, which makes it fall more slowly.
How do you DEMONSTRATE AIR RESISTANCE
Crumple one piece of paper into a ball. Drop the ball from the same height and at the same time as you drop a flat sheet of paper. The piece of paper takes longer to fall than the ball of paper.
Why did the paper ball always fall faster?
There is more air pressing on the surface of the flat piece of paper than on the surface of the paper ball. The crumbled up ball has less air to push out of the way as it falls than the flat piece of paper does. That is why the ball hits the ground first.
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What are some examples of air resistance?
Some examples where air resistance comes into action are
- Feather falling on the ground
- Kite flying in air
- Leaf’s shedding and falling down from the tree
- Walking in the storm
- Riding a bicycle
- Holding an umbrella in the direction of the wind
- Hot air balloon
- Paragliding
Why is it harder to walk in water than air?
Have you ever wondered why it is harder to walk through water than air? It all has to do with air resistance. It is a force that air exerts on objects moving through it. The faster an object moves, the more resistance it experiences. This is why it’s harder to walk through water than air – water has a higher density than air, which means there are more molecules per unit of volume. This makes it harder for objects to move through water because there are more resistance forces exerted on them. So the next time you’re struggling to walk through water, remember that it’s not just you – it’s the laws of physics!
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Extension – Which will fall faster Why?
Do the experiment with different sizes and shapes of paper sheets and paper balls. Which sizes and shapes falls fastest ? Which falls slowest ? What will happen when you do the same experiment in a vacuum chamber, will the sheet of paper fall faster or at about the same speed as when it’s crumbled up?
In conclusion, we’ve just barely scratched the surface of what can be done with air. It’s an incredibly versatile material that is essential to life and it has a lot of interesting quirks that scientists are still exploring.
If you’re looking for more experiments to do with your kids, be sure to check out our list of easy science experiments you can do at home with your kids. And if you try any of them out, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear about your experiences.
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