Parachutes are large pieces of cloth. The cloth has ropes (lines) attached. The ropes are hooked to a harness on the person. The cloth (parachute) opens in the air. The parachute then floats down slowly with the person. The person may have jumped from an airplane. If a person fell or jumped from an airplane without a parachute they would die.

The first parachute jump was from a balloon about 200 years ago. Today, thousands of people jump from airplanes using parachutes. They do it for fun. Sometimes one person will jump. Sometimes a group of people will jump at the same time. Parachutes are also used by the military. Soldiers jump with parachutes into battle. Equipment is dropped to soldiers by parachutes.

The parachute is put into a pack when not being used. The rip cord opens the pack and the parachute comes out. Air fills the parachute as it opens. There is a small hole in the top of the parachute. Air goes through the hole. The parachute can then come down evenly.

Make a small parachute with a weight at the end of the lines. Throw it up in the air and watch it come down slowly.

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Last modified: Mon Mar 23 22:49:02 PDT 1998