The Great Egg Drop Project.

The Great Egg Drop Contest

Project Overview

mv = F*t. In other words, you can reduce the force applied to the container by increasing the time that the force is applied. In the demonstration you saw in class, the blanket was able to cushion the impact of the egg, extending the time upon which the force acted to stop its motion.

In this project, you will build a container which can house an egg as it falls from the top of the stairwell in the school foyer. You may work in groups of two or three students. When designing the container, you and your group should think about how to reduce the force applied to the object when it hits the ground. Remember that

In your design, you should choose three variables and test the results of each variable on your container. There are a few rules you must follow:

On the egg, no hardening coatings on the egg, no hollow eggs…).

– Your design must not include changing the egg in any way (no glue or tape

– Lighter than air materials may not be used (eg. Helium).

– Parachutes may not be used.

– Hard materials that could break or chip the floor should be avoided

– The maximum volume should be that of a cube 80 cm. Maximum weight may not exceed 2kg.

– The container must be self contained (ie. Nothing on the floor to catch it, or extra parts)

Some examples of materials you may choose are poster board, cardboard, cotton, styrofoam, diapers, tape, glue, socks, toilet paper, and straws. The winner will be determined by the container that keeps the egg intact and travels down in the least amount of time. You will submit a lab report at the end chronicling your container design and performance in the contest. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

1. Find at least three resources from the literature or the internet, which you can use to help in designing the container to protect the egg.
2. Make a list of materials you would like to use in your container. Begin to think about how you will modify these materials to make the best design for your container.
3. Write a purpose for your investigation. This should be very specific. You may wish to frame this as a question. For example: What is the effect of adding extra cardboard to the design of our egg crate? How much cotton is best? What is the effect of layering in poster board with the cardboard? Each container you design with different variables will be called a prototype.
4. Make a detailed, labeled diagram of what your prototype containers will look like.
5. Write your procedure for how to build your container(s), test your variable(s), and collect your data. Make sure you describe your attempts at designing prototype containers for at least three different variables. No testing of containers may be done at school. You will want to evaluate the effectiveness of your modifications and adjust any variables to make your container more efficient. Report the speed and effectiveness of these prototypes in the Results section of your report.
6. Think about how the literature sources you found, your physics knowledge, and this project are related. Organize your thoughts in an outline, then in couple of paragraphs. Call this the theory section of your lab report.
7. Build the final container.
8. On the day of the contest, we will drop the containers from the top of the stairwell in the school foyer. The egg must be allowed to be removed and inspected prior to the drop. The winner will be determined by the container that has its egg remain intact. In the event of a tie, the container that fell in the least amount of time will be the winner.
9. Tabulate results regarding the success or failure of your container to protect the egg. Include the time it took to reach the ground. Include the diagrams from your prototype containers.
10. Write a lab report which includes all the following sections: Name, Date, Title, Purpose, Materials, Methods, Results, Discussion and Theory, Conclusion, and Bibliography. This lab report should describe the whole process of your investigation. It should include any attempts you tried and the variables you chose, and the reasons you stayed with them, or the reasons you decided to try something else. It should explain the function of your container and how it satisfies the impulse/change in momentum equation with reasons. Include answers to the following questions at the end of your report:

Things to do:

-What are the forces acting on the egg as it falls?

-How can you control the forces that cause the egg to break?

-What are the common characteristics of the materials that protected some eggs?

-Did layering of materials play a role in protection?

-How does your container to protect the egg share characteristics with the restraint systems in cars? (ie. Seat belts, air bags)

LABORATORY REPORT EXAMPLE: Egg Drop Lab Report.

NB. Thanks to David Grape from Manitoba High School whose original work was the inspiration for this project.