Skydiving really is a crazy idea. Skydivers fly in an airplane to about 14,000 feet, then jump out. They open a parachute, a giant piece of cloth that slows them down — but only after falling at 120 miles an hour. Then there’s Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from a weather balloon 24 miles above Earth. Because the air up there is so thin, he became the first person to fall faster than the speed of sound (768 miles per hour). Thankfully, he still remembered to pull his parachute.
Wee ones: Planes fly up before they come down. Look up. What do you see above you? Now look down. What do you see?
Little kids: If you jump out of a plane and take 10 seconds to fall, what numbers do you say to count down? Bonus: If a parachute slowed you to take 10 seconds longer, how long would your fall take?
Big kids: Regular passenger planes fly only about 6 miles above the ground. How much higher was Felix at 24 miles? Bonus: Let’s say you and Felix jump at the same time. If you fall 13 seconds before pulling your parachute and then take another 24 seconds to land, and Felix falls 19 seconds before the chute and then another 11 seconds, who lands first?
Answers:
Wee ones: Things above you might include the ceiling, a light, or a skylight (window in the ceiling). Things below you might include the carpet, the floor, or stuff you’ve left on the floor!
Little kids: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Bonus: 20 seconds.
Big kids: 18 miles higher. Bonus: Felix lands first, in 30 seconds vs. 37 seconds.
