What the project is:

You are to design a container that will transport a standard egg from the top of the bleachers at our stadium to the ground. It goes without saying that you want the egg to remain intact from top to bottom. Fastest egg in the lightest vehicle wins!

What you will do:

You must come up with a vehicle or container that will safely hold an egg through a long drop. I will supply the egg; it will be a standard fresh egg (not boiled) from the supermarket. You may use whatever you wish to protect the egg, with some exceptions:

  • You may not immerse your egg in a liquid or colloid, such as Jell-O.
  • You may not suspend your egg in an edible material (such as fruit).
  • No explosives, motors, or flames of any kind.

This is a competition with your fellow classmates. The winner is the lightest vessel that achieves the maximum velocity upon impact while still keeping the egg intact. In other words, the faster the egg hits the ground (and survives), the better you did. Points will be awarded based on your rank within the class. Those whose egg does not survive will receive zero points for velocity, as it is useless to travel 300 m/s if nothing survives! You will be ranked in order on two separate lists: mass and velocity (based on the time to impact). You will receive scoring based on your position in each list (10 for first, 9 for second, etc), and the person with the highest score will receive 10 points on their grade; second will receive 9, etc. I will only rank the first 10 people; everyone will have a shot at earning a 90, but only first place can receive a 100.

A report will be due the day following the day we test. You will answer the nine questions given to you in your lab report (in the analysis section), as well as include a sketch of the schematic of your vessel. Be sure to label all measurements on your sketch!

What you will turn in:

On the date of the project, you will turn in your egg vessel and your rubric. Failure to include your rubric will result in a 5 point deduction from the final grade! The following Monday you will include your lab report, which includes the analysis questions and the schematic.