how do I drop an egg from 5 meters (almost 17 ft.) without cracking or breaking it?

Question

For a project at school we have to drop an egg from 5 meters to the ground without breaking it. There can be nothing attached to it so we have to buld or come up with some kind of platform for it to land on. The platform can't be more than one meter in any direction and the height (thickness) from the ground can not be more than 5 cm (approx. 2 in.) to get an A. So the higher it is above 5 cm. the more points are deducted. Any suggestions? thanks

Answer 1

Go for a B and make it 10 cm of sponge or better yet foam. If you let it break then you will get an F so don't try for the A that is a suckers bet. Damp sponge (like the sponge your mother uses to clean the kitchen with) will be soft enough to absorb a lot of impact. You want it wide to or it to roll.

The best way to do it would be to sacrifice an old couch cushion and use the foam in side, maybe two of them. They would work better than sponges and don't need to be dampened to increase their shock absorption ability. You will need to construct a solid ring around the cushion with a lip, say out of cardboard that will prevent the egg from rolling off.

Answer 2

Hard boil it first then drop it into a bowl of jello.
That has a good chance of working even without hard boiling it first. Try it at home first see how deep the jello must be. I also think that it must be in the initial jell state. put something around the edge of the bowl to cushion it in case of a bounce. I am sure there are other semi fluids that might work. Vanilla pudding. Yogurt. Mayo Use your imagination. After your done you can have a snack also.

Answer 3

give it a parachute

or drop it onto a soft deep surface

you have to provide the deceleration with very little force applied to the egg .... thus the stopping distance has to be increased considerably

5cm .... you must do the sums
I'm sure its not possible without the parachute