The egg drop challenge is a classic experiment that will test your ingenuity and engineering skills!
Can you design a device that allows an egg to survive from a fall?
Jump into this fun activity to find out!
Materials
The materials listed below are just suggestions for what you can use as you craft your device to protect your egg. Feel free to think of other materials to use as you get creative!
- Raw eggs
- Padding material (sponges, cotton balls, bubble wrap, etc.)
- Tape
- String
- Cardboard
- Plastic
- Paper cups
- Straws
- Scissors
How to do the Egg Drop Challenge
Step 1
Using your materials, create a device that will cushion your egg from a drop. Your goal is to create something that will protect your egg so well, it doesn’t break.
Step 2
Place your egg in the device.
Step 3
Test your device! Try dropping your egg.
Step 4
Check in on your egg. Did it break?
Step 5
Try designing different devices, as well as dropping your egg from varying heights to see how this might change your results.
Egg Drop Design Considertions
In order to protect the egg from a fall, consider elements that would both create a strong and stable structure and cushion your egg’s landing.
You should also consider elements that could alter the speed at which your egg falls.
Consider the purpose of each material you choose to use in your design. For example, if you choose to use straws, what do they do to protect your egg’s landing?
Do you want them to serve as a wall, like a container that encloses an empty space? Is there a way to prevent the egg from coming in contact with the surface using straws?
Think of ways to cushion the egg so that something other than the egg itself absorbs the impact of landing. Remember: the egg does NOT have to come in contact with the ground for this challenge!
Once you are done making your structure, drop it from a height and observe what happens. If your egg did not break, then congratulations! This means that your structure was strong and supportive enough for the egg to resist cracking.
Which Parts of the Egg Are Strongest?
An egg is easily cracked if you put pressure on its sides, however, if you were to squeeze the top and bottom of the egg it would be more difficult to crack. Consider orienting the egg in a way that it lands on the strongest part of the shell.
How Can You Best Protect Your Egg?
One of the ways to increase the likelihood of safely dropping your egg is to slow down the descent speed.
Why is this true? Think about energy transfer! Slowing down the speed reduces the amount of energy that is transferred from potential (stored) to kinetic (moving) energy.
You can also think about how you can you reduce the force when your egg falls
For example, one way to reduce this force is by using a cushion-type structure for your egg.
This will keep the egg from stopping instantly when it hits the ground, thereby reducing the force of the impact.
Another way to reduce this force is to oppose the force of gravity. Adding a parachute to your device adds more air resistance which works opposite to the force of gravity, slowing down its speed and softening the force of impact.
