Hi ' I'm new to this thread but this is a great science project. We did this when I was in sixth grade and here is what the winner did, don't laugh!!
Use a card board tube or a piece of PVC Pipe big enough for the egg to fit into and give about 3/4" clearance all around the egg and close one end. Pour a little bit of sand into the tube so that when it is dropped that end will hit the ground first ant the tube will be in an upright position when it hits. Very loosely put crumpled toilet paper into the bottom 6 inches of the tube. Pack the paper loosely, the object is for the toilet paper to compress when the tube hits the ground so that the deceleration of the egg is more gradual. Now here is the trick. Make a jello plug that will fit into the ube on top of the toilet paper, it is alright to use a cardboard divider between the toilet paper and the tube tto support the jello. Now here is the real trick to this whole mess. You must cut the jello plug down the middle lengthwise and push the egg slightly into the crack. This cut is a guide for the egg to travel through the jello when the tube hits the ground. Pack more toilet paper of better jello cubes around the egg a over the egg and close the top. One of these contraptions was dropped over 100 feet and no broken egg. A quick note about physics IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW HEAVY THE CONTAINER IS!!! It will always drop at the same speed and it is not the drop speed that breaks the egg it is the rate of deceleration that the egg experiences. Thus all the compressable material under the egg to slow the deceleration and keep the egg intact. Hope that this is not to long winded Mike Morris -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Desert Eagle Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 8:05 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: rodmakers Subject: [VFB] OT, HELP from Science type people... OK, Here is the problem, I was "Notified" today at dinner, that "I" was selected by Amanda for her science project assistant. Here is the task. We have until Monday night to design, build and "Test" a protective shell to house an Egg, (not hard boiled but raw). It must protect the Egg in a toss from a 35' building roof. If the egg survives unbroken, she gets a 100, if it brakes she gets a "0". Each student "Picked" their partner, (parent or sibling), at school. The instructions read that we can use "Any" resource to construct the protective case, (IE, internet, friends, Nasa Employees whatever). The outside diameter of the "Protective Case" can be no larger than 12". Our first thoughts are to wrap the egg in small bubble wrap, inside larger bubble wrap and then encase it in some form of protective case. That is our basic Idea. Anyone ever done this successfully ??? We need help and have to construct and test the prototype by NLT Sunday. Jimi
