METC 106

THE GREAT EGG DROP LAB

Goal

To construct a structure capable of protecting an egg dropped from a significant height.

Materials/Group

  • Scale to weigh each device in grams
  • 1 - Piece of foam board, 6 inches X 6 inches
  • 3 - Plastic straws
  • 4 - small paper clips
  • 4 - Giant paper clips
  • 1 - Piece of string, 5 feet long
  • 1foam coffee cup
  • 2 - Rubber bands
  • 1 small plastic egg
  • 2-Craft/popsicle sticks
  • 2 plastic grocery bags
  • Scotch tape (counts as an item)
  • Stop watch
  • 1 egg per group (egg cannot be changed in any way from its raw state)
  • 1 small sandwich bag (wrap the real egg in to contain any breaks)not counted as an item
  • 1 copy of the ASME Egg Drop Contest Rules

Procedure

Students will be divided into groups of 3-4. Students will discuss and come up with a design. Materials must be chosen from the list, but not all materials need to be used. Remember, the goal is to design a device with the least number of parts that will protect the egg.

Students will be provided with materials to build their design, using the small balloons or plastic eggs to simulate the real eggs. Students may test their prototype in the classroom and refine the design.

Perform the actual test.

Each device will be weighed without the egg and recorded.

The number of parts used will be counted and recorded.

Record the time it takes for the egg to drop to the ground on the data sheet. Record the drop zone that each device lands in and if the egg cracks.

Report

Each student will submit a well-written laboratory report including (Pond p.216):

  1. The objective
  2. A list of equipment used
  3. The theory, or principle, examined
  4. The procedure used to successfully complete the experiment
  5. A presentation of the data collected
  6. Detailed calculations of the average velocity and score.
  7. Presentation of the results (not required in this lab)
  8. Conclusions and recommendations

Discuss your design methodology (how the project was supposed to work) and a performance analysis (how the project actually worked).

The analysis should include an approximation of the average velocity of the egg using the simple equation velocity = distance/time. Include appropriate units with your result (miles/hour or inch/minute or ….). Of course, the egg begins with a velocity of zero and the velocity increases as the egg reaches the ground.

Egg Drop Data:

HEIGHT OF DROP:______

GROUP
NAME / WEIGHT
(grams) / #PARTS / TIME OF DROP (SEC) / DROP ZONE
1,2,3 or 4 / EIF
1 OR O / AVERAGE
VELOCITY

EIF=Egg Integrity Factor (1 if not cracked or 0 if cracked)

Drop Zone: Egg device must land entirely within the ring

Innermost Zone (2 feet diameter) DZ=1

Middle Zone (4 feet diameter)DZ=2

Outer Zone (6 feet diameter)DZ=3

Outside the ringsDZ=4

Your team score:

Score= Remember…the lowest nonzero score wins

Number of parts: Each individual piece will count as one part. Tape counts as a part.