ODE models for the parachute problem

Classroom discussions relating to the modelling of physical phenomena have experienced a resurgence in recent years. One problem that is accessible to students and mathematically tractable is the motion of a skydiver. The basic "parachute problem" is formulated and solved. A simple analysis of the problem raises questions about the applicability of this model. Real-life data is used to propose an extended model. The modified model is shown to be more physically realistic and is no more complicated than the original problem. This discussion gives equal emphasis to both the modelling and the analysis of the problem.