Ok, I to make a container for the classic egg drop experiment tommorow, and I have an idea, although I'm not sure how reliable it is. Does anyone know how to make a good one? The materials are:
1 Plastic 16 oz. cup
1 strip of 24 inch, 1 inch wide masking tape
2 sheets of 8.5 by 11 paper
2 medium rubber bands
You can trade in any item for a duplicate of another (like 1 rubber band for 24 inches of tape).
The drop height starts at 1m and goes up to 2.5m
The egg has to be easily accessible to check for breakage (no wrapping in tape), and you can't get replacements for broken parts once testing has begun.
A fast reply would be appreciated
Why don't you try being creative instead of asking other people to do your homework? There's a lot that you can do there. You can take the rubber bands and try to suspend the egg in the middle of the cup. Then use the paper to cushion around the egg and keep it in place so that it doesn't hit the ground. The best is simply trial and error.
Hm, a few ideas:
1- The slow fall
Cut the cup into strips, then fold the strips lengthwise and use them as rigid supports to keep the paper in a wind-resistant shape and to insulate the egg from the shock of landing. Use the bottom of the cup as the insulating part. Hold the contraption together with the rest.
2- The shock absorber
Cut the cup's sides into 8 sections, and cut an exactly egg-sized hole in the bottom. Fold half the strips of the cup past the bottom of the cup, and secure them with a rubber band. Tape and rubber band the egg into the center hole. Fold/cut/crumple the paper into the most wind-resistant shape possible, and tape that to the unsecured end of the cup (used to be the top) in such a way that it holds the strips of cup together. The cup should be in a diamond-like shape now, with the egg secure in the center, and a big wad of paper at one end. Put any spare paper inside the construction in between the egg and the un-papered point of the diamond. The resistance of the paper will make sure that the contraption lands on the paperless point every time, and the shape puts plenty of shock-absorbing material in between the ground and the egg.
3- The cheat (sort of)
If you have not been specifically told not to modify the egg, boil it until it is much more durable, then use one of the methods above.
Normally I wouldn't help people with school projects like this, but it was such a fun problem that I couldn't help myself.
Has anyone coated the egg in numerous layers of varnish until its basically a plastic egg? Does this present a solution?
protect the egg well. We did this in grade 6 years ago and I tied garbage bags around the egg. Because it was such a windy day, the egg and garbage bag flew away. Not sure if its relevent. Lol. Good luck on your project though.
