Egg Drop

Problem- What kind of device do we need to make in order to drop an egg without breaking it?

Hypothesis- We believe that our contraption will prevent the egg from breaking because it has air resistance, elements that absorb some of the energy from the impact, and a slower falling rate because of our "leash".

Experiment-

Materials

1 big plastic cup

1 small cup

1 little plastic doohickey

3 rubber bands

1 string

10 paper clips

4 note cards

1 string

Variables

N/A

Constant: eggs, materials,judges

Independent: construction of device

Dependant: fate of the egg

Procedure-

 Our contraption is cushioned by ten tissues which will absorb some of the impact. The tissues are inside a plastic capsule, which will also absorb some impact energy. We added flaps in order to create some air resistance, creating a slower fall. Also, using the paper clips and length of string provided, we created a "leash" that we will hold onto when we first drop it, then when it has reached the end of the string we will release it. This will give the contraption less time to gain momentum, creating a lesser impact with the ground.

We will drop the contraption off the balcony of the stairwell, after securing the egg.

Observations-

Drop 1- Egg inside of device is dropped by Ashton from 12th step. Egg does not break.

Drop 2- Egg inside of device is dropped by unknown person. Egg Breaks.

Conclusion-Most of our success came from the lessened drop of the "leash" and the padding we added to absorb some of the impact. The air resisting wings did not help much. Because I did not witness the second drop in which the egg broke, I can not say much about why it did not work the second time. All in all our contraption worked to an extent, depending on how it was dropped and the height.