The Egg
Drop
Kennika Hendrix
EDU214
Professor Steven J. Saladino
October 3, 2021
Statement Of The
Problem
Drop an egg from a height of approximately
9 feet from the ground and ensure that it
remains unharmed.
Overview
Research
Variables
Dependent
Independent
The condition of
the egg after
Design of container
Controlled the drop
Materials used
Constraint does not
Type of egg specify material
The height the egg is properties
dropped
Engineering constraints
Constraints
Objective
Keeping incompliance with outlined
engineering constraints absorb all of
the kinetic energy away from egg into
something else. It takes energy to
deform a material, so the more
material put in front of the egg to
absorb the kinetic energy through
deforming the better chance of the
egg surviving.
The impact from the floor can be best absorbed with
material that can squish. If the device increases the mass
around the egg evenly distributing the force around the
eggs surface the egg will emerge intact.
If enough air resistance is created the egg
will safety float to the ground fully intact.
Energy can not be created or
destroyed. However, it can
be changed or absorbed. If
enough cushion is surrounding
the egg, the cushion will
absorb all the energy saving
the egg upon impact.
Materials
3 raw large grade A white eggs
2½ 1-gallon Ziplock bags
4 2oz plastic snack cups
16 inches of 3M scotch packaging tape
12 inches of 16ply cotton twine
20 blue drinking straws with 0.219” diameter
Design #3
Procedures Gather all materials
Take 1 Ziplock bag and blow
air into it
Take 1 inch of tape and close
Design #1 bag shut
Gather all materials. Repeat last two steps
Take 2 snack cups Take 2 snack cups
Poke hole through top of one snack cup Place egg in one snack cup
Place egg in one snack cup Connect to snack cups
Connect to snack cups together with 2 inches of tape together with 2 inches of tape
Thread twine through the top of cup Place egg in middle of air bag
Cut Ziplock bag lengthwise in half and secure with last 4 inches
Tie thread to Ziplock bag and connect the two of tape
Design #2
Gather all materials
Take 10 straws and lay them down horizontally
Tape the straws together loosely across horizontally with 2 inches
of tape
Repeat last two steps
Wrap straw bed around egg making egg completely enclosed in
straw capsule
Tape to keep closed with 4 inches of tape
Egg: 680 grams
Data/Observations Dimensions: length 54.45mm Width 43.05mm
Did it
Description Design #1 Dimensions Weight Time to Fall
Break?
Egg parachute Length Width
2 snack cups arranged in a
cylinder, Egg inside all secured
1474 g
with tape. The parachute is 1.16 Sec Yes
suspended with twine 120.65 mm 50.8mm
attached to plastic Ziplock
bag with a knot.
Did it
Description Design #2 Dimensions Weight Time to Fall
Break?
Length Width
Egg Cylinder
20 straws laid horizonal
690 g
taped together to make 1.10 Sec No
cylinder coffin, Egg inside 203 mm 70.8mm
all secured with tape.
Description Design #3 Dimensions Weight Time to Fall Did it Break?
Length Width
Egg Air Bags
2 plastic Ziplock bags filled
681 g
with air secured with tape. 1.35 Sec Yes
Egg is taped in the middle of 660 mm 812 mm
two bags.
Conclusion
The second design worked just as planned. The materials we used included
lightweight, flexible, and compressible straws. The straws were put loosely, but
securly around the egg. The straws did just as we thought they would and
absorbed the force. The straw design increased the mass of the object and allowed
it to fall slower.
In the first model the parachute idea did not work. There was no air resistance
created and the egg collition was not stopped in any way. We believe that if the egg
was released at a higher height, then resistance could have been created saving the
egg.
In the third model the design idea should have worked. Our justification of why it
failed is due to not enough air in the air bags. Early in the prototype we noticed air
was excaping from the bag. We fixed all holes and reinflated the bags. Yet, we feel
this contributed to the failure of the device.
Student Name: Kennika Hendrix
Date: 10/03/2021
Portfolio Artifact Description: Multimedia science fair project -Working with a
piece of software that is dedicated to linear slide shows, combine text, themes,
hand drawn pictures, decide upon a simple scientific investigation that you would
What you learned: like to do with your family.
The egg drop is an all time classic. I have only seen this project done from the perspective of teacher. To participate in the
project was amazing. I learned different types of constraints that I can add whenever I teach science again. I also was able to
review Newton’s Laws. This experiment is designed to teach students about gravitational and kinetic energy.
ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students Addressed:
Standard #1 Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and
demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. 1a: Students articulate and set personal
learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve
learning outcomes. #4 Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve
problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating
ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. 4b: Students select and use digital tools to
plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. 4c: Students develop, test and
refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process. 4d: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the
capacity to work with open-ended problems.
Application of Skills Learned for the Future:
There are many scenarios that can be attached to this project as well as many constraints. This is also an easy project that can
be scaffold in away to be used in any grade level from Kindergarten science to 12th grade mechanical engineering.
