What is Parachute: Definition and 75 Discussions

A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag (or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift). Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong fabric, originally silk, now most commonly nylon. They are typically dome-shaped, but vary, with rectangles, inverted domes, and others found. A variety of loads are attached to parachutes, including people, food, equipment, space capsules, and bombs.
A drogue chute is used to aid horizontal deceleration of a vehicle including fixed-wing aircraft and drag racers, provide stability, as to assist certain types of light aircraft in distress, tandem free-fall; and as a pilot triggering deployment of a larger parachute.

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  1. D

    Formula for deceleration, using a parachute and wheel brakes

    Homework Statement Basically i need to find the braking distance and time for the deceleration of a vehicle for the following conditions, using a parachute using a parachute, and wheel brakes does anyone know of a suitable formula to calculate this? Homework Equations...
  2. Q

    Parachute in Space: Can It Deploy?

    just as a minor thought i brainstormed on the deployment of a parachute in deep space. because their is no air or molecules like that, THAT I KNOW OF. would the parachute deploy? would it expand and fill with anything like on earth? my thoughts were that if sound can't travel in space without a...
  3. H

    How does a parachute help a man hit the ground with a small kinetic energy?

    Homework Statement How does a parachute help a man hit the ground with a small kinetic energy? Where does the energy go? Explain everything in energy terms. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution i think that when the parachute is deployed, the kinetic energy the man has...
  4. G

    Mechanical Energy in a parachute

    Given an parachuter and the system parachuter-parachute-Earth and taking in account the resistance of the air, my question is: is the mechanical energy of the system (parachuter.parachute.Earth) a constant, please explain. And please don't talk just about the parachuter because I wan't to know...
  5. S

    Calculating Parachute Sizing to Slow Landing Aircraft: A Problem-Solving Scenario

    I'm trying to solve a problem which involves the following scenario. Any help would be great! A landing aircraft (mass 14 tonnes) is to be slowed from 300km/hr to 180km/hr in 3 seconds, by the deployment of two identical parachutes at its rear. Determine the diameter of each parachute. The...
  6. P

    Designing a parachute system/device

    I am trying to build a system to activate a servo at a unspecified point in time when a machine and remote looses their signal between another. When the signal is lost between the two, the new system must activate a servo. We are using radio transmitters, but I can't figure out how to tackle...
  7. P

    Designing a parachute system/device

    I am trying to build a system to activate a servo at a unspecified point in time when a machine and remote looses their signal between another. When the signal is lost between the two, the new system must activate a servo. We are using radio transmitters, but I can't figure out how to tackle...
  8. P

    Designing a parachute system/device

    I am trying to build a system to activate a servo at a unspecified point in time when a machine and remote looses their signal between another. When the signal is lost between the two, the new system must activate a servo. We are using radio transmitters, but I can't figure out how to tackle...
  9. Z

    Solving Parachutist Problem: Force Exerted by Parachute

    1. Homework Statement : A parachutist whose total mass is 100kg is falling at 50m/sec when his parachute opens. His velocity drops to 10 m/sec in a vertical displacement of 40m. What force was exerted by his parachute? 2. Homework Equations : F = ma Fg = m(9.8) This is my first...
  10. A

    Calculate Forces on Parachute & Person: Parachute Homework

    Homework Statement A 78 kg person is parachuting and experiencing a downward acceleration of 2.8 m/s2. The mass of the parachute is 5.4 kg. (a) What upward force is exerted on the open parachute by the air? (b) What downward force is exerted by the person on the parachute? Homework...
  11. B

    Solving Parachute Problem: General Equation of Parabola to Differential Equation

    Ok, I am pretty much out of ideas, throwing up a hail mary looking for some help here, lol. General equation of a parabola is x(y)=ay^2+by+c, i need x(0)=10 and x(5)=0. So C must equal 10, and b=-2-5a. So the equation is now x(y)=ay^2-(2+5a)y+10. Now, from here i must somehow derive the...
  12. N

    The Safety Design of Parachute

    Hi there. I am new so I have no idea where to put this. I'd be glad if the moderator can help me put this in the right spot. So here is my question: What makes a parachute safe in a physics sense? I need a proper source. I've been looking for this for hours and I couldn't find anything...
  13. Q

    Parachute but with no given mass.

    Homework Statement Parachutists open the canopy of their parachutes in order to reduce the speed at which they land on Earth. How large should a parachute canopy be in order to reduce the landing speed to 10 miles per hour? Consider the parachute to be circular, to be descending vertically...
  14. R

    Parachute Competition: Find the Equation to Win!

    hello all, I recently saw a poster for a competition, the idea is that you get a teddy bear and attach a parachute to it, your bear gets thrown off a tower and the bear which is in the air the longest wins. Obviously i thought that if i researched parachutes on the internet i could find...
  15. S

    Mechanics question with parachute

    1. A parachutist of mass m falls freely until his parachute opens. When it is open he experiences an upward resistance kv where v is his speed and k is a positive constant. The parachutist falls from rest freely under gravity for a time \frac{m}{2k} and then opens his parachute. Prove that the...
  16. C

    Will the Stone Catch Up with the Parachute Before Hitting the Ground?

    problem: A. A small parachute dropped from a 58-m-high cliff falls with a constant velocity of 1.2m/s. 43s after the parachute is dropped, a stone is dropped from the cliff. will the stone catch up with the parachute before it reaches the ground? yes or no? B. how long would it take for the...
  17. C

    Solve Parachute Problem: Stone Drops from 58m Cliff

    Stoned Parachute problem problem: A. A small parachute dropped from a 58-m-high cliff falls with a constant velocity of 1.2m/s. 43s after the parachute is dropped, a stone is dropped from the cliff. will the stone catch up with the parachute before it reaches the ground? yes or no? B. how...
  18. E

    Parachute deployment (non-instantaneous)

    Here's the problem... A car of mass 2000 kg, drag coefficient .3, frontal area 1 sq. meter releases parachute of area Pi sq. meters (diameter 2 m). The inital velocity of the car is 100 m/s. Calculate distance and velocity after 10 seconds. I know how to work this problem for...
  19. S

    Homemade Parachute for Model Rocket

    Ok I am sure the title caught your attention, but it is not for me, it is for my cat, just kidding. It will actually be for a model rocket I am building. I would like to design a ram-air parachute to control a descending rocket (toggles will be attached to either servos or linear actuators and...
  20. S

    Force-Gravity Problem [Parachute & body]

    An 85 kg person is parachuting and experiencing a downward acceleration of 2.5 m/s2. The mass of the parachute is 4.8 kg. What downward force is exerted by the person on the parachute? >>What i am [was] thinking << :: Well, i tried to solve it by using by using this method its wrong 'its...
  21. C

    Paratrooper falls without parachute

    A paratrooper pilot fell 370 m after jumping without his parachute opening. He landed in a snowbank, creating a crater 1.0 m deep, but survived with only minor injuries. Assume the pilot's mass was 75 kg and his terminal velocity was 50 m/s. (a) Estimate the work done by the snow in bringing...
  22. A

    Time taken for a parachute to fall

    Hi. I'm doing a KS3 coursework experiment whereby I need to investigate the question, 'Does the area of a parachute affect the rate of fall?' Obviously the answer is yes, however the theoretical physicist within me wanted to take this much further, so I attempted to pull together my basic...
  23. Ivan Seeking

    IT WORKS New [aircraft] parachute saves four lives

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040410/PLANE10/TPNational/Canada http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0211/22parachute/ The technology to apply this to commercial aircraft already exists though the Apollo program. Aviation will never be the same. Edit...
  24. H

    Calculating Force exerted on a skydiver when Parachute opens?

    Calculating Force exerted on a skydiver when Parachute opens?? Ok. So i want to calculate the force in Newtons that is exerted on a skydiver when the parachute is deployed. I have the deceleration that the parachute causes, the velocity that the skydiver is going right as the parachute is...
  25. M

    Acceleration of a skydiver free falling(no parachute yet)9.8m/s^2 ?

    is the acceleration of a skydiver free falling(no parachute yet)9.8m/s^2 ? When the skydiver reaches a new lower terminal velocity, what happens to his weight and drag?
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