Can you please help me with this egg drop lab thing?

Question

I'm only allowed to use straws, tape, and glue. I already tried it once but it broke. Any ideas?

Answer 1

You don't say how far the egg will drop.

I would make a cradle for the egg out of straws, about half a dozen taped together at the ends, the egg just held in the center by friction.

Then I would construct a "cage" about one straw long on each of its sides (six sides for a cube) Use glue to attach straws together and only leave about an inch between straws. Leave one side open until you put the cradle with the egg inside, attached to the center of two sides of the cage. then finish the last side. Glue diagonal half-straws across each corner (three for each corner). That would be my best off the top of the head solution. A second cage could be built around the first. You didn't mention any size restrictions. The bigger the structure is, compared to its weight, the more wind resistance it will have, and the slower it will fall. The idea is to let the cage absorb the force of the impact but insulate the egg from it as much as you can.

Good luck.

Answer 2

If I understand correctly, you want to make a cage to put in the egg in such a way that the egg won't break when you drop the structure.

If so, the best idea is to make a cage that will break instead of the egg, thus absobing the shock from the drop, however as you can imagine, this will not work twice.

On the other hand, one other good strategy might be using the tape as a shock absorber as well. Just make small cylinders from the tape by sticking it onto itself and stick these cylinders onto the egg in such a way that the bottom of the cylinder is facing the egg. Then go over the cylinders that you stuck to the egg with another layer of tape. Repeat by sticking more cylinders onto the last layer of tape and going over them again. Repeat as necessary.

After the last layer, try to use the sticks in a way that when the contraption hits the ground, the sticks will go through the tape layers but not touch the egg. Do not try to totally cover the structure with sticks, as this will require much more sticks for the same volume. The main trick is trying to make the contraption as large and as collapsible as possible while protecting the egg from the collapse. The volume will also help slow down the fall (because of air friction) if the structure is light enough (lots of tape used) and the height of the drop is over ~10 m.

I hope it works.

Answer 3

Any limit to the materials? Also, what kind of tape. My idea would work with any kind, but packing tape would work the best. My idea is to create a sheet of tape that is about 2 feet or so on the sides. Lay strips of tape on a table, glue side up. Lay them side by side. Now, lay strips over those but lay them so they cross over the first layer. Lay those glue side down. This should make you a plastic sheet with no glue showing. Cut some slits in it to allow the air to flow thru it, but not too much. We are building a parachute. Use tape folded over on it self to attach the chute to the egg. You need to fold it over so that the glue does not cause everything to tangle up into a mess. Make these segments long enough to carry the egg and also cause the chute to open properly. You will still need to create a cradle for the egg so that it does not crack on impact. A bed of straws ought to do that. It may take some playing to get it to work.

Answer 4

glue the straws to the outside of the egg then take the ends of the straws and twist them together make a box with the other straws being sure to have x patterns on the side of the cube to fold over the ends of the straws on the egg suspend the egg inside the cube and you should be fine

Answer 5

i had the same project. i like "weaved" the straws together wrapped them in tapeput the egg in and put more straws wraped around each other on the outside wit more tape. good luck