Is it true that eggs bounce when dropped?

Question

Obviously this doesn't mean on your kitchen floor - my friend said it is to do with eggs being protected when falling out the nest.

Answer 1

Hi,

Many a time I have found a bad egg in a box, I always put them in water to make sure they sink before I use them.

Instead of just putting it in the rubbish bin I take it outside and throw it into the field, thinking either a crow or fox will make a meal of it.

Even though I throw it high and hard nine times out of ten it will bounce and not break.

So yes, I reckon they would bounce when dropped.

Eggs have a very strong profile and trying to crush them end to end is very hard to do. Side to side they are relatively weak.

There was a reknound Spring Jumper, Joseph (Josse) Darby who could jump onto a crate of eggs and off again without damaging any of them.

Below is a bit about him you might find fascinating.

Black Country legend Joseph Darby was born at Windmill End, near Cradley Heath on August 5th 1861.

He became the World Champion Spring Jumper, a sport long since vanished but enormously popular in Victorian times.

Joe Darby could jump on the surface of water in a tank and out again, simply wetting the soles of his shoes.
That this feat involved a double spring is proved by the fact that he would jump up to the water a distance of 5ft, and then clear the tank landing 6ft beyond.
He could also alight on a spectator's face, springing off without hurting them.
He was also able to clear half-dozen chairs with a jump taken off an ordinary glass tumbler filled with water without spilling a drop.
Joe Darby attracted a massive crowds when he performed in public.
He died on 22nd December 1937 aged 76.

If you wonder how he did it he used to hold weights in his hands.
During displays he would thrust the weights in an upward direction, during the jump, to counter effected the gravitational pull downwards.
This meant that at certain times during the jump he was actually weightless.

Swinging the weights enabled him to attain the forward thrust to clear long distances.

Without the aid of the weights he was a very agile and powerful jumper which is verified by his winning of the World Championship.

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Answer 2

Apply the second part of the Scientific Method ..

You have the Theory, so now all you have to do is devise and perform suitable Experiments that will disprove (or support) the Theory !

Obvious candidate for a School Project !!

Suggest you propose it to your Physics Teacher ..

Answer 3

i think its to do with which part of the egg hits the ground first, if you picture them coming out of a bird they rarely if ever come out sideways on lol, very painful for the poor bird. they are strong enough to stand if they are placed upright and it is very difficult, but not impossible to squash them in your hand if you hold then at either end. they are much more delicate found the widest part.