Science of Transportation Memorabilia

Celebrate the science of transportation with memorabilia from Zazzle! Colorful graphs from Schottenbauer Publishing are featured on these mugs, magnets, keychains, & postcards. Graphs features the motion of a car, train, rocket, parachute, falling plastic bag, and ball floating in water. A direct link is included below:

A variety of other STEM education collections are also available from Schottenbauer Publishing on Zazzle, which features regular sales on most items.  

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The Acceleration of Parachutes

Parachutes offer a good opportunity for learning about acceleration and gravity. The following graph, excerpted from The Science of Flight: Volume 2 from Schottenbauer Publishing, shows a parachute in motion:

Discussion Questions

1. What is the original height of the parachute? The maximum height? The final height?
2. What is the final acceleration of the parachute? Describe the acceleration in relation to gravity.
3. Describe the pattern of acceleration of the parachute, from beginning to end of the flight.
4. What is the maximum force exerted on the parachute? Is the maximum force associated with throwing the parachute, or the parachute deploying in air?
5. Describe the sequence of deployment of the parachute. Why does the height change in an up-down-up pattern, rather than simply going up and down?
6. Describe the entire flight of the parachute, from beginning to ending, in words.

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The Hard Truth Regarding Gravity and Flight

In physical science and physics class, students learn that all objects fall at the same rate due to gravity. When learning that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma), many students may question the assertion, due to many apparent contradictions. Here are a few:

• Why does a leaf fall slowly, while a ball falls quickly?
• Why does a parachute slow the rate of descent?
• Why do space rockets not fall back to earth when the engines stop?

Although there is no data about space travel in the book series Soar! The Science of Flight, there are plenty of graphs on the motion of objects moving in the lab:

Volume 1

• String Trolley
• Umbrella
• Plastic Bag
• Ball
• Pen
• Yardstick
• Paper Airplanes
• Radio-Controlled Helicopter

Volume 2

• Air Rocket
• Parachute
• Glider
• Kite

By comparing graphs of motion, students can estimate the effects of air resistance on various types of falling objects. In addition, direct measurement of force by an accelerometer are provided in some graphs within each book above, showing the acceleration due to gravity versus acceleration which describes changes in motion.

The following books from Schottenbauer Publishing contain graphs and data pertaining to the science of falling or flying objects:

Graphs & Data for Science Lab: Multi-Volume Series

• The Science of Flight
• The Science of Archery & Shooting Sports
• The Science of Balls
• Sampler Edition: 24 Sports Balls Bouncing, Rolling, & Flying
• Volumes 3, 6, & 7
• Volume 8: Assorted Balls
• The Science of Baseball
• Gravity, Springs, & Collisions: Graphs of Classical Physics Experiments

Anthologies of 28 Graphs

• The Science of Transportation
• The Science of Ball Sports

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Schottenbauer Publishing

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