answered

It can have many purposes, but the main reason is to slow something down. Be it a skydiver, or a care package, or a drag racing car, or a space shuttle. It slows things down. 

How a parachute works
It's pretty simple really. As the parachute gets pulled downward by the … Read more
answered
Because a heavier person flying the same size canopy has a higher wing loading, resulting in faster movement. Wing loading is referring to the ratio of sq ft of fabric to weight of the jumper+ weight of the rig(parachute) being used. So I'm about 150 lb, plus 30 lb of gear = 180 lb. I … Read more