Description
Teams will design a device using materials provided onsite that will
prevent a raw egg from making a crash landing when dropped from a high
elevation.
Number of Participants / Approximate Time
2 students / 50 minutes
The Competition
1. Teams will be given an equal amount of a variety of household and
office supplies such as cotton, paper, straws, cups, clips, tape, pins,
etc. No outside materials are permitted.
2. Each team will have 25 minutes to construct their device which will
prevent a large, grade A raw egg from breaking when dropped from a high
elevation. Teams are not required to use all of the materials
available.
3. Teams may design their devices to encase the egg and be dropped with
the egg or their devices may be used to catch the naked egg at ground
level. Devices may also use a combination of these methods. Teams which
exclusively design their device to catch a naked egg will receive a bonus
in scoring.
4. Devices may be of any shape or size and may make use of a parachute
design. The devices may also make use of any adhesive substance provided
with their materials to aid it in adhering to the target. No plumb lines
will be allowed.
5. At the end of the preparation time, all devices will be set aside and
massed without the egg.
6. The device and/or egg will then be dropped free fall by one student
from a height determined by the event supervisor. Eggs will be provided
by the event supervisor. There will be only one drop with a time limit of
three minutes to prepare for the drop from the time the judge says to
begin.
7. The drop area will be approximately 60 cm X 60 cm and make of a solid
material with a target in the center of the area.
Scoring
Those devices which prevent the egg from breaking or showing any
detectable cracks will be scored. Devices will be ranked according to
their masses. Those devices exclusively designed to catch the falling egg
will receive a 10% bonus deduction in the mass of their package (i.e. a
220-gram egg catching device would be scored as 198 grams with the 10%
bonus deduction). The lightest device will be declared the winner.
Last Updated: August 1, 1999
Copyright 1999, David Peters, ESO at Jacksonville High School.
Reproduction for educational use permitted.
