Egg drop projects challenge students and individuals to devise working contraptions to safely land an egg without causing it to crack. ScienceStruck brings to you some easy ideas that you can implement for your egg drop project.
To Put It Bluntly
The egg dropping device should be such that it creates air resistance which slows the descent, thus minimizing the impact on contact with the ground.
Egg drop competitions are held in schools and colleges where students compete with one another to create unique devices to safely land an egg when dropped from a decided height. The goal is to keep the raw egg intact, and minimize the impact on the egg encased in the contraption.
While the designs for the device can range from simple to complex depending on the creativity of an individual, he/she has to make do with limited material. The egg drop project is definitely a means for students to learn the basics of science―from velocity and force to rate of speed. It compels them to think of innovative ways to protect the egg on impact.
Egg Drop Project Ideas
Using Toilet Paper Rolls
Materials Required
- 2 Toilet paper rolls
- Thick paper
- Skewers
- Ziploc bag
- Tape
- Thread
- Glue gun
Getting ready
Cut a toilet roll horizontally to get two exact halves. Slit the other toilet roll lengthwise. You now have three pieces of toilet roll to work with. Wrap the egg in a Ziploc bag to reduce the impact on landing.
The base
- Place one of the halves on a flat surface, and place the slit tube over it.
- Ensuring it fits snugly over the lower half, tape the longer roll back together.
- You have now created a cylinder which will effectively cover the lower half.
- Detach the pieces of toilet roll, and use a scissor to make 1-inch vertical cuts in the lower half.
- Fix the widened tube over the half, and make two holes through them.
- Push two straws through the holes ensuring they intersect at the center of the tube, and keep the base aside.
The propeller
- Use the uncut half to create blades by inserting wooden skewers into the upper portion of the roll.
- Ensure the skewers encircle the perimeter of the toilet roll.
- Cut out rectangular strips of the paper, and stick them to each of the skewers at slight angles using glue or electric tape.
- Ensure the blades are equidistant from the center of the tube and tilted at the same angle.
- The propeller tube should resemble a miniature version of an exhaust fan.
The assembly
- Place the egg, which was wrapped in a Ziploc bag, vertically inside the base.
- Ensure it neatly sits over the straws.
- Place the propeller on top of the widened tube.
- Fix it into place with a single skewer inserted through the two pieces of tube.
- Bend the vertical slits outward to act like a shock absorber on landing.
- Attach a piece of thread to the top portion of the propeller.
- Hold the device with the help of the thread to test the working.
Using Balloons
Materials Required
- Balloons
- Wicker basket
- Skewers
- Paper balls or
- Cotton
- Cloth
Getting ready
Do away with the handle and side trimmings of the basket. Cut the cloth to the desired length. Wrap the egg with paper balls or cotton.
The base
- Fasten the basket to the inflated balloons on all four sides.
- The balloons will create a soft cushion for the landing.
The propeller
- Use the skewers to create a frame to attach the fabric.
- Fasten the rectangular piece of cloth to individual skewers.
- Attach the wing to the skewer frame using hot glue.
The assembly
- Attach the lower end of the skewer frame to the basket.
- Secure the frame in place along the edges of the basket using burlap strings or glue.
- Place the egg in the basket.
- Keep the egg in place either using strings or skewers intersecting in the center.
Using Plastic Cups
Materials Required
- Plastic cups
- Popsicle sticks
- Plastic bag
- String
- Cotton
- Glue
Getting ready
Tape the cotton onto the egg, and keep aside. You can even use bubble wrap to provide extra cushioning for the egg.
The base
- Use popsicle sticks to create the landing base for the cups.
- Crisscross two sticks and stick them to the base of a plastic cup.
- Use additional duct tape to keep the sticks in place.
- Stack a couple of cups into each other.
- Place the egg in the topmost cup.
- Stack a couple of cups over the egg.
- Use duct tape to seal the cups from opening.
The propeller
- Create a square frame with the ice cream sticks.
- Use skewers to attach the base to the frame.
- Secure the joints with electrical tape or duct tape.
- Use the thread to attach the plastic bag to the frame.
The assembly
- Using glue, attach the propeller to the skewers that are jetting out of the cups.
- Secure it in place with tape.
Using Popsicle Sticks
Materials Required
- Popsicle sticks
- Twine
- Lightweight paper
- Rubber bands
- Cotton
- Ziploc bag
- Glue
Getting ready
Secure the egg with cotton or bubble wrap. Place in a Ziploc pouch filled with cotton. You can even place it in a burlap pouch.
The base
- Create a cube-shaped frame with the ice cream sticks.
- Seal the joints with glue.
- Hang the burlap pouch with the egg in the center of the cube.
- Secure the open ends of the cube by crisscrossing the ice cream sticks.
- Use glue to ensure that they do not come apart.
- Allow to dry thoroughly before you secure with electrical tape.
The propeller
- Split the popsicle sticks in halves, or better still, use skewers or thin sticks to make the frame for the propeller.
- Create a spiral-shaped frame using skewers.
- Cover the frame with the paper. Glue and trim the edges to get a clean finish.
- Use hot glue to secure the joints together.
The assembly
- Use a skewer to attach the propeller to the base.
- Fasten the joints with glue and tape ensuring that it does not move.
- Use twine to cover the edges as well as to give it additional strength.
- Once the glue is set, test your device.
Using Drinking Straw
Materials Required
- Drinking straws
- Glue
- Tape
- Ribbon
- Bubble wrap
Getting ready
You can choose to secure the egg in bubble wrap, or keep it as it is.
The base
- Join two straws together by inserting one into the other.
- Bend the straws at their joint.
- Use a drop of glue on the inner side of the straw to ensure the straws do not come apart.
- Create a mat of straws in a similar manner.
- Repeat the process twice, so you have a three to four layers of straw as the base.
- Stick two straws together with glue.
- You can alternately use tape to hold your straws parallel to each other.
- Create a basket of straws by assembling the straws in similar fashion.
The assembly
- Use more straws to create a protective shield around the egg.
- Hold the straws in place with tape and glue.
- Place the egg in the straw basket.
- Cover the top with straws and ribbons.
- Use some more tape to go over the basket to provide additional strength to hold the egg inside.
- Test your device and make adjustments accordingly.
Using Bagels
Materials Required
- Bagels
- Skewers
- Bubble wrap
Getting ready
Wrap the egg in bubble wrap, and keep aside.
The assembly
- Secure two bagels with the help of skewers.
- Place the bubble-wrapped egg horizontally in the gap of the bagel.
- Cover the egg with the third bagel.
- Secure the bagels in place with more skewers.
- You can use gum paste or glue made from cornstarch to hold the bagels together.
- Use a ribbon to hold the bagels together.