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Egg Drop Experiment Egg Drop Experiment
Posted 6:29PM Dec 9 2006

Introduction

Momentum equations As part of our study of momentum in physics, we had the assignment to create a device capable of carrying an egg safely through a nine-foot drop. The device could be no larger than 4"x4"x4" and needed to weigh less than 200 grams.

Cushioning and padding will help the egg survive the fall, according to the impulse-momentum theory, because it increases the time of the impact and thereby decreases the force. I used this concept when designing the device. It took about an hour to make out of ordinary household items.

The Device

The Device
Parts List:
Nike watch box orange foam ball watch padding 2mm yellow foam duct tape

Extras:
glue plastic bag (in case of breakage)
egg

Procedure:
Putting it together wasn't much of a problem after I found the parts I needed from all over the house.

I cut the foam ball in half and hollowed out most of its center with scissors to provide a resting place for the egg. I glued pieces of the yellow foam to the outside of the box to make it more durable overall. Duct tape made everything more secure.

Finished product:

The Device

The Device

Conclusion

End Result:
The device worked in class and the egg did not break, ensuring full credit on this assignment. I decided to keep the egg drop device as it might very likely come in handy in the future.

Suggestions for improvement:
Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to order a sheet of shock-absorbing sorbothane from Edmund Scientifics to include it in the device. I think that this material may have lessened the need for as much padding because it adds another factor into the experiment -- distribution of the force over a greater surface area.
The use of accelerometers could have produced a much more accurate analysis of the force on the outside of the box and the force felt by the egg.
Encasing the egg in a liquid or gel may also have been interesting but would have required an understanding of fluid mechanics, an area we have not yet gone over in physics.