Physics "egg drop"

[xka24detx]

Okay so im trying to help my friend with her physics project.
Goal is to build a device to protect a raw egg from a 2 story drop.
Restrictions are, she can only use 2 pieces of 8.5x11 computer paper, and 1 meter of scotch or masking tape...

Just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas/tips....

Thanks

[RightWheelDrive]

Sounds fun.
1.Make a parachute with one piece of paper and half a width of tape as rope. Don't tape it on the egg yet.
2.With the other piece of paper, softly roll it lengthwise until it looks like a long cone making sure the end of the hole is just small enough so the egg does not fit through.
3. Tape the cone onto the egg so that it looks streamlined.
4. Now tape the parachute on the egg (opposite end of the cone).
5. Drop the egg while holding the parachute.

The parachute should create enough drag to keep the cone pointing down on impact. The cone is there to absorb the force and hopefully spread it out so the egg does not feel it. I would draw a picture but this was just off the tope of my head and I got to run to class now. Have Fun.

[arkive43]

i can picture what ur saying...^^^^ good idea.

[seekanddestroy]

Encase it in a concrete block.

[mRclARK1]

Sounds fun.
1.Make a parachute with one piece of paper and half a width of tape as rope. Don't tape it on the egg yet.
2.With the other piece of paper, softly roll it lengthwise until it looks like a long cone making sure the end of the hole is just small enough so the egg does not fit through.
3. Tape the cone onto the egg so that it looks streamlined.
4. Now tape the parachute on the egg (opposite end of the cone).
5. Drop the egg while holding the parachute.

The parachute should create enough drag to keep the cone pointing down on impact. The cone is there to absorb the force and hopefully spread it out so the egg does not feel it. I would draw a picture but this was just off the tope of my head and I got to run to class now. Have Fun.

I would try this. Except add one more step if I may?

Take the piece of paper you are using for the parachute and find the EXACT center of the piece. Make a small circular hole (about the size of a nickel or so... no bigger) and then from ONLY ONE side of the 11" side of the paper, cut a straight line to that hole and overlap the paper into a open cone shape and carefully tape it back together. That should make your parachute more stable if it works. Don't blame me if it doesn't... it's not like I tried it first. haha

Hope that makes sense. :)

[cmcdougle]

I've got it, use one paper as a parachute, and one paper as kind of a trampoline like the firefighters use for it to land on. . .

Remember impulse.

[Farzam]

Tape up the egg completely...
Wrap it up in paper.
Wrap it up in more paper.

[illvialuver]

did this shit in physics, just make a parchuet, and itll work. tel her good luck. we had to also make a boat outta cardboard that wouldnt sink.

[kandyflip445]

LOL. I stuffed mine in a box of tissues.

[staticbzer]

best way is to keep the egg suspended in the center of your finished project.

[theicecreamdan]

more preferred would be to keep the egg as high in the finished project as possible, and keep it from flipping around.

Our egg drop project was different. Our rules said we couldn't use a parachute or similar to slow it down. and the idea was to keep the project as light as possible. I forget what the winner did, but mine was a 20oz coke bottle with fins. and I put the egg on the top. all the way to the bottom was rubber bands stretched across the space. My egg survived the first 2 drops but on the third one it decided to bounce up in the air and land upside down.

[DoriftoPnoy]

Sounds fun.
1.Make a parachute with one piece of paper and half a width of tape as rope. Don't tape it on the egg yet.
2.With the other piece of paper, softly roll it lengthwise until it looks like a long cone making sure the end of the hole is just small enough so the egg does not fit through.
3. Tape the cone onto the egg so that it looks streamlined.
4. Now tape the parachute on the egg (opposite end of the cone).
5. Drop the egg while holding the parachute.

The parachute should create enough drag to keep the cone pointing down on impact. The cone is there to absorb the force and hopefully spread it out so the egg does not feel it. I would draw a picture but this was just off the tope of my head and I got to run to class now. Have Fun.

wow that's fucking genius. you made me feel stupid.lol

haha i remember making parachutes for all my action figures and what not.

my favorite physics project was the water bottle rocket. attached a parachute at the top. goal was to stay in the air the longest. *sigh* good times. i wish your friend good luck.

[Kaotik25]

Well here's an idea that doesn't pertain to the parachute method. the main idea behind this is impact from the fall. If you can make the paper into some sort of device that can absorb impact, the egg will never crack. Just like a car, make a crash zone. Remember, lots of space decreases the impulse. This should work and it's not a parachute. Goodluck

[Yuri]

Since the rules state that the egg must survive going from the second floor to the ground, here's the best way.
Use one piece of paper, and write "MY EGG" on it. Tape this paper to the egg.
Leave egg on second floor.

Go to ground level.

On the second piece of paper, write "My egg's on the second floor. I'll give you $5 if you go get my egg and bring it down here, and set it on the ground without breaking it."
Hand second piece of paper to underclassman.

A drop is a vertical change in altitude. You're just slowing it's momentum by having some lackey bring it down for you. I see no problems.
Get egg, win comp.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Dont forget to BOIL the egg....:bigok:

[theicecreamdan]

Sounds fun.
1.Make a parachute with one piece of paper and half a width of tape as rope. Don't tape it on the egg yet.
2.With the other piece of paper, softly roll it lengthwise until it looks like a long cone making sure the end of the hole is just small enough so the egg does not fit through.
3. Tape the cone onto the egg so that it looks streamlined.
4. Now tape the parachute on the egg (opposite end of the cone).
5. Drop the egg while holding the parachute.

The parachute should create enough drag to keep the cone pointing down on impact. The cone is there to absorb the force and hopefully spread it out so the egg does not feel it. I would draw a picture but this was just off the tope of my head and I got to run to class now. Have Fun.


Actually I was just thinking about this one... why do you streamline the egg, and put a parachute on it? Once it gets to the ground your cone part will hit the ground first and tip over. At this point the parachute will no longer be slowing the descent and the egg breaks.

I like the business solution to the physics problem.

Are you limited to how much tape you can use? Make a zipline out of tape, and use one sheet of paper to create drag to slow down the egg's slide rate, and then the other sheet at the bottom to catch it.

Ok, one idea I just messed around with. Wrap a sheet of paper around in a pretty tight tube. and Smash it into a table pretty straight. See how strong that holds up? If you wrap the sheet conically, and give it a couple fins you might be able to keep an egg near the top of the cone and guide it straight down that way. If the paper isn't wrapped too tightly the egg should have a little bit of room to slide down without going all the way through to ground level. If the fins are studly enough they should protect the egg from the weak sidewalls of the tube.

[tenmou]

To absorb the impact you could use strips of the paper and weave them on top of each other into a spring, then tape them strategically on the egg. Something like this:
http://www.onetogrowon.com/images/projectidea1.jpg

[kouki_s14]

if it tips over, just put absorbing cones all around the egg

[RightWheelDrive]

Actually I was just thinking about this one... why do you streamline the egg, and put a parachute on it? Once it gets to the ground your cone part will hit the ground first and tip over. At this point the parachute will no longer be slowing the descent and the egg breaks.

I like the business solution to the physics problem.

Are you limited to how much tape you can use? Make a zipline out of tape, and use one sheet of paper to create drag to slow down the egg's slide rate, and then the other sheet at the bottom to catch it.

Ok, one idea I just messed around with. Wrap a sheet of paper around in a pretty tight tube. and Smash it into a table pretty straight. See how strong that holds up? If you wrap the sheet conically, and give it a couple fins you might be able to keep an egg near the top of the cone and guide it straight down that way. If the paper isn't wrapped too tightly the egg should have a little bit of room to slide down without going all the way through to ground level. If the fins are studly enough they should protect the egg from the weak sidewalls of the tube.

First of all, you only have 1meter of tape buddy.

Second, you streamline the egg because you dont want any drag in the front or else the cone will not hit the ground first. Why would you want to waste paper wraping it around the egg when you can use it in front of the egg to absorb the impact?? The cone is there is take the fall, not to tip it over. I said cone shape because on impact, how could the egg fall through the cone if the cone is smaller than it? You only need a couple pieces of tape to secure a cone as opposed to trying to secure a cylindrical tube with a length of tape

Third, you put the parachute in the back to create drag in the back so that the cone will hit first.

Fourth, a zipline? why not make a long rope and lower it down

Fifth, whats a business solution to a physics problem?

sixth, I never guaranteed that my idea would work. That was what I came up with while I was waiting for my homework to print out between class.