This is the classic egg drop experiment. Students try to build a structure that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a significant height. They should think about creating a design that would reduce the amount of energy transferred from potential to kinetic energy on the egg shell.
What is the physics behind the egg drop?
The cup drop illustrates the transfer of potential energy to kinetic energy. The potential energy from the eggs transfers into kinetic energy after an outside force (gravity) acts upon the egg.
How do you do the egg drop experiment?
Try using just one container, one type of internal padding and one type of external padding at first. Build your landing device and put your egg inside. Test it out by dropping your device from up high. If the egg doesn’t crack, your design is a success!
What physics principle is used to make a surviving egg drop project?
Inertia. Newton’s Laws of Motion are the basic principles illustrated in the egg drop experiment. Sir Isaac Newton published his Laws of Motion in 1687 and fundamentally altered scientists’ understanding of the world by describing the relationship between force and motion.
What forces affect an egg drop?
A falling object (egg) has a downward force acting on it due to gravity. Air resistance acting on the falling egg results in an upward force, and these 2 forces oppose each other.
In any collision, the momentum change is equal to the impulse. So if the egg dropped from 5 meters has the greater momentum change, it will also have the greater impulse.
How is the law of inertia applied in the egg drop?
It’s all about Inertia! Inertia says an object, the egg in this case, will stay at rest, unless an outside force acts upon it, your hand in this case. When you move the pie pan with your hand, gravity takes over and pulls the egg straight down into the glass of water.
How do you drop an egg without breaking it physics?
How can an egg survive a 100 foot drop?
- Slow down the descent speed.
- Cushion the egg so that something other than the egg itself absorbs the impact of landing.
- Orient the egg so that it lands on the strongest part of the shell.
How does gravity affect the egg drop project?
Gravity causes an object to fall to Earth when dropped. Drop an egg from eye level so that it breaks. When the egg hits the ground with a given force, the ground exerts the same force back on the egg. The faster the egg falls, the greater this force is.
Why does an egg not break when dropped on grass momentum?
When the egg hits the ground the forces of the impact are distributed around the shell so it does not break.
How did gravity and air resistance affect the egg drop experiment?
Gravity and Air Resistance Explained A egg dropped without anything to slow it down will fall fast and break, the parachute and balloon add air resistance slowing the fall, and stopping the egg from breaking.
Is momentum conserved in an egg drop?
The Vehicle increases the amount of time that the force of gravity is acting on the egg. The impulse equals the change in momentum so the only way to reduce it, is to reduce the initial momentum = mv because in the end it will be stop by floor and have zero momentum there. Conservation of momentum equals mv=mv.
Why does an egg break if dropped on a hard surface but doesn’t break if it lands on a soft pillow?
The egg dropped on the floor stops very quickly, which means the force on the egg is large, so it breaks. The egg dropped on the pillow slows down and stops more slowly since the pillow is squishy, therefore the force on the egg is smaller and the egg does not break.
Why eggs dropped on a carpet or a mattress do not break?
Because a carpet or a mattress is soft in comparison to the floor, the egg slows down and stops more slowly, resulting in less force on the egg, which prevents the egg from breaking.
What causes the egg to change state of motion?
When you spin the raw egg, its centre of gravity (or balance point) changes as the fluid inside the egg moves around. This results in a wobbling motion in order to achieve balance. When the hardboiled egg is spun, the solid centre has a fixed centre of gravity, causing it to move at the same time as the shell.
What materials can stop an egg from breaking?
Foam from an old cushion, cotton balls, cotton batting, stuffing, bubble wrap, old rags, toilet paper or paper towels can be used for the first, dense cushioning layer closest to the egg.
How might you drop a raw egg onto a solid floor without cracking?
The answer is “A fence “. The fence runs all-around a backyard, yet never moves. 2.
What is the best egg drop design?
Where is the strongest part of an egg?
The egg is strongest at the top and the bottom (or at the highest point of the arch), which is why it does not break when pressure is added to both ends. The curved form of the shell also distributes pressure evenly all over the shell rather than concentrating it at any one point.
How do you drop an egg without toothpicks?
- Assemble Toothpick Rectangles. For this project, you’ll need parchment paper, two to three boxes of toothpicks, hot glue, a metal spoon and last, but not least, an egg.
- Form a Box.
- Add a Lid.
- A Bigger Configuration.
- Let the Toothpicks Absorb the Fall.
Who invented the egg drop experiment?
Mechelle DeYoung came up with one creative solution by inserting a raw egg into a jar of marshmallow cream, cushioning it in cotton balls, and placing it in a padded box.
How does Newton’s law affect egg drop?
Newton’s third law states that for every action there is a opposite and equal reaction. Our egg drop project demonstrates this by there being a simultaneous reaction but in the opposite direction, so when you drop the egg and it lands, an upward force will act on it.
What is the velocity of an egg falling?
What is the speed of gravity; how fast would an unprotected egg fall? Gravity is the force that attracts mass towards the center of the earth or other large planetary body. The speed of gravity is about 9.8 meters per second. An unprotected egg would fall at about 10.93 meters per second.
Why do more massive objects fall faster than less massive objects?
Thus, more massive objects fall faster than less massive objects because they are acted upon by a larger force of gravity; for this reason, they accelerate to higher speeds until the air resistance force equals the gravity force.