What Is The Physics Behind An Egg Drop?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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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.

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.

How does physics relate to egg drop?


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.

What is the science behind an egg drop?

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

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion

. … If you let go of the egg, gravity becomes an unbalanced force and causes the egg to fall to the ground.

How does egg Drop relate to momentum?

The first impulse is from the drop itself. Its

momentum will increase due to the net force applied to it

. … Imagine that dropping from a meter, the egg has the whole meter to speed up to its speed right before impact (so the egg doesn’t break just from falling because the force is small).

What 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.

Why did my egg drop project work?

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. … The eggs stay at rest until acted upon by an outside force.

What do you use for the 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.

How do you slow down an egg drop?

To slow down the egg, you need to

increase the surface area

– the larger the area, the more that air resistance acts against the egg. One effective way of doing this is to add a parachute, which increases the surface area significantly.

What should I use for an egg drop project?

  • Raw egg.
  • Newspaper.
  • Masking tape.
  • Balloons.
  • Straws.
  • Cardboard.
  • Cotton.
  • Toilet paper.

What is the highest floor you can drop an egg from without it cracking?

A building has 100 floors.

One

of the floors is the highest floor an egg can be dropped from without breaking. If an egg is dropped from above that floor, it will break. If it is dropped from that floor or below, it will be completely undamaged and you can drop the egg again.

Why doesn’t an egg break when dropped on a 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.

How do you make an egg drop without breaking it?


Drop the egg lightly

. When dropping the egg, hold it out over the surface and simply let go. Do not toss it downward as you drop it since this will add more force and speed to the egg’s descent, making it more likely to crack upon impact.

How does Newton’s second law apply to an egg drop?

Newton’s 2nd law states that the

direction of the force vector is the same direction as the acceleration vector

. Our project demonstrates this by the net force not being 0 when you drop the egg. The egg will accelerate due to gravity.

What type of collision is the egg drop?

Physics Behind the Demo

The Egg hitting the ground is

a collision between the Earth and the Egg

. When collisions occur, two properties of the colliding bodies are changed and/or transferred: their Energy and Momentum. This change and transfer is mediated by one or many forces.

What is the difference between momentum and impulse?

Momentum is the

product of mass and velocity

. … However, impulse represents the change of momentum of a system over a certain period of time. The calculator of momentum takes into account only the instantaneous effects of force that acts on the system.

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.