Air resistance is a force that is caused by air. The force acts in the opposite direction to an object moving through the air. It is a type of friction.

In this lesson, students will learn what air resistance is and how it affects us. They will learn about Galileo Galilei who first investigated air resistance and how without air, objects with the same mass will fall at the same rate. They will learn about streamlining in order to minimise surface area and they will complete a quiz mid-way to check understanding.

They will then carry out two experiments- 1) paper drop test 2) investigating how the size of a canopy affects the rate of a parachute’s decent.

Sheets are provided for the experiments along with an interactive presentation and useful knowledge organiser.

This lesson is 1/6 lessons on Forces. To view the other lessons, please visit: /teaching-resources/shop/ResourcesForYou/Primary science