Why Do Parachutes Matter?

If you think nothing can oppose gravity think again! Parachutes when paired with air resistance can slow the descent of the parachute user! Which is the same as slowing gravity down. And also reducing terminal velocity. Parachutes also have different shapes with different characteristics that change the way they function. Some designs are better than others in different ways too. But does the parachutes’ shape actually matter? Gravity is a force that works against parachutes. Gravity also pulls everything downward and keeps things in place. It pulls all things down at the same speed, which includes people. Parachutes lower the amount of force gravity can use to pull it down. Air resistance opposes gravity. So the more air resistance, the less gravity can act on something/ the object. Gravity can be slowed down by parachutes due to this. Air resistance is what allows the parachute to oppose gravity. Air resistance does this by catching the air in its canopy. This doesn’t overpower gravity though, it only slows it enough for a safe landing. If it did overpower gravity, the user would continue to float upwards after their parachute is deployed. Remember, instead of pushing the air the parachute catches it. You have to push

Terminal velocity is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium through which it is falling prevents further acceleration. Gravity is what causes an object to gain speed or to accelerate, by pulling it (down). The more it falls the more speed is gained (but all things do fall at the same pace/speed if the fall at the same time. This is 9.8 m/s. That is why a parachutes need to be made of strong lightweight materials, so force/air pressure does not break it. Also, parachutes slow your terminal velocity down by 90 percent (%). Which is a speed of 5-6.6 meters per second, enough to avoid