What Is The Science Behind The Egg Drop Challenge?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The science behind solving the falling egg “problem” is found in

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion

. … This law means that if the forces acting on a falling egg are equal, it will remain in its current state of motion. If a force greater than those acting on the egg is applied, it will accelerate.

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 does the egg drop project work?

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.

How does Newton’s law apply to 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.

How does impulse and momentum relate to egg drop?

And since the two eggs have the same mass, it is the egg dropped from 5 meters that will have the greater momentum change. 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.

Who created 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.

What is true about impulse and momentum?

Impulse is a quantity which depends upon both force and time to change the momentum of an object. Impulse is a force acting over time. b. TRUE – Impulse is a vector quantity Like momentum,

impulse is not fully described unless a direction is associated with it

.

How does momentum and impulse affect a dropped object?

Explanation: When you drop an object it will fall

under the influence of gravity and reach the ground

; at the instant before the impact it will have a certain momentum →p1=m→v1 (a vector, with modulus AND direction). … After the impact the momentum →p2=m→v2 will be “reversed” compared to the initial one (before impact).

What could cushion the egg and absorb energy when it hits the ground?

Shock Absorbing Materials


Flour

is made of very small particles, and may cushion your egg better than than larger packing peanuts. Experiment with various substances like popcorn, flour, sugar, sand and crumpled plastic bags.

How do you save a drop egg?


Plastic Bag Designs

A hard shell is not the only way to protect an egg during an egg drop. Plastic bags are less of a shell, but they provide a structure to hold padding material around the egg. Add padding such as foam, bubble wrap or packing peanuts between the egg and the side of a small plastic bag.

What do you need for an egg drop experiment?

  1. Raw egg, or other payload that needs protecting.
  2. Container, like a cardboard tube, cup, box, etc.
  3. External protection materials, like balloons, rubber bands, craft sticks, straws, etc.
  4. Internal padding, like fabric, packing materials, paper, etc.
  5. Pen or pencil.
  6. Paper.
  7. Tape.
  8. Scissors.

Why is an egg a good test subject?

You will find that the

eggs are actually incredibly strong and hold up against the pressure

of your test subject’s evenly distributed weight! The egg’s unique shape gives it great strength, despite its perceived fragility.

What is the best shock absorber for dropping an egg?

Fill a box three times the size of the quart bag with packing peanuts, and place the plastic bag in the center. Fill the rest of the box, and seal it shut with duct tape or masking tape.

The double layer of Styrofoam

works as a shock absorber for the egg.

What is Newton’s 3rd law sometimes called?

Newton’s third law states that when two bodies interact, they apply forces to one another that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. The third law is also known as

the law of action and reaction

.

What are the two factors does momentum depend on?

Momentum depends upon the variables

mass and velocity

. In terms of an equation, the momentum of an object is equal to the mass of the object times the velocity of the object. where m is the mass and v is the velocity.

Does impulse change momentum?

The impulse experienced by the object equals the change in momentum of the object. In equation form,

F • t = m • Δ v

. In a collision, objects experience an impulse; the impulse causes and is equal to the change in momentum.

What are the forces acting on the egg as it falls and hit the ground?

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.

Why does an egg not break when dropped on grass?

When the

egg hits the ground the forces of the impact are distributed around the shell

so it does not break.

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

.

What concepts could be derived for impulse and momentum?

Momentum is mass in motion, and any moving object can have momentum.

An object’s change in momentum is equal to its impulse

. Impulse is a quantity of force times the time interval. Impulse is not equal to momentum itself; rather, it’s the increase or decrease of an object’s momentum.

How is it possible to drop an egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

How can you drop a raw egg on a concrete floor without cracking it riddle?

The egg can be frozen

. The egg could be dropped onto the concrete without the shell cracking. The closer you are to the floor, the slower the egg will travel when it hits.

Can bubble wrap protect an egg?

When the package hits the pavement, all of the tiny bubbles of air should protect the egg from being damaged.

The egg is protected by 8 layers of bubble wrap

, so that is a lot of little air pockets! … take off the bubble wrap and see my egg safely cradled in the middle, unharmed.

Can cardboard protect an egg?

Cardboard.

Cardboard will absorb the shock of

a fall when used in quantity. … Place layers of cardboard around the egg until the egg is completely encased with many layers. Test the contraption and add layers as needed until the egg can be safely dropped without breaking.

How strong is an eggshell experiment?

The diameter of a “large” chicken egg is about 1.75′′ and the typical shell thickness seems to be around 0.023′′. Thus, the cross-sectional area of the shell wall is approximately 1/8 sq in, or 8×10

– 5

m

2

which, when combined with the ultimate strength, theoretically will support a

1.4×10

4

N load

(3,000 lbs)!

What is the conclusion of the bouncy egg experiment?

Conclusions. The eggshell is dissolved because vinegar is an acid and eggshells contain calcium carbonate, which is a base. When these two chemicals are combined, a chemical reaction occurs.

Carbon dioxide is formed

, which is why you see the bubbles.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.